Keeping an accent on local speech

IAN McMillan’s work is often delightful, especially when he touches on dialect, such as “OR8” and “theeing and thouing”. Most linguists would agree with him that local speech should not be discouraged (Yorkshire Post, August 2).

Ten years ago, I wrote a dialect book and entitled it Orreight mi ol’ which is the Sheffielder’s greeting, usually man-to-man, “Are you all right, my old (love)?”

It’s pleasing to see local youngsters texting “OR8”.

Ian has touched on the fact that many denizens of the Steel City were known to voice a soft “d” instead of “th” in words such as thee and thou and thine, this, then and them, leading to observant linguists in satellite towns from Barnsley to Chesterfield to call us affectionately (?) as “deedars.”

When Barnsley FC are pitted against the Blades or Owls their supporters kindly chant “dee-dar, dee-dar, dee-dar” for an ambulance, when a Sheffield player is injured.

Interestingly, German is close to Sheffield dialect. “Dein” (thine) and “na denn” and “sam up” spring to mind. I have just come across “Was ist denn mit dem?” which we translate as “what’s up wi dem den?”

Protect our heritage

From: Paul Hornby, The Dell, Mytholm, Hebden Bridge.

I WAS pleased to read the concerns of the Leeds, York and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce over the emphasis given to heritage in York and as being against enterprise.

It proves York Council are doing something right (Yorkshire Post, August 10).

Heritage is an irreplaceable asset and its protection is vital and attracts people and businesses to the city.

The country is full of towns and cities which have sacrificed their heritage and are in a far worse economic condition that York.

It is the heritage which will deliver economic benefits and not a relaxation of policies and a free for all expansion.

Treating the old as rubbish

From: RC Dales, Church View, Brompton, Northallerton.

TWO headline reports (Yorkshire Post, August 3) recounted the potentially disastrous threats to the future of the NHS and the leader that day posed another problem.

Previously there had been a report that the number of NHS nurses would drastically reduce in the next few years. It would be thought that the proposal made in my recent book The Time Has Come would have warranted immediate action.

This proposal was sent to the Government, explaining how billions of pounds could be saved, enabling the number of nurses (and consultants) could be increased materially.

Despite the surge in the numbers of the aged the trend appears to be towards centralising hospitals, and no regard is given to ill, frail patients being carted around the countryside like bags of rubbish, exposing them to strange surroundings the size alone of which is formidable and cutting them off from the support of family and friends, accepted as an aid to recovery.

The rules of arithmetic

From: Roger S Tipping, Marlborough Road, Doncaster.

I HAVE been amused to hear several references recently to the deficiencies of primary school children in reading, writing and maths.

Why not arithmetic? The three Rs of the 1944 Education Act are the basis on which all other knowledge depends. Communication is important even in an age of computer technology. In 1953 I reached grammar school having had a good grounding in the “three Rs”. From day one I was hopeless at maths. The four rules of fractions, decimals etc were understandable.

I was lost when it came to algebra, geometry, trigonometry etc. Fortunately for me, I was more successful in languages and humanities. French and German grammar cannot be attempted unless you have mastered English.

Carol Vorderman’s report is now out. She suggests that there should be two separate maths papers at GCSE. Had there been two GCE papers in my day and had there been a separation of two separate skills, I might have made more progress. Who knows!

The four rules of arithmetic should lead to statistics and an understanding of finance. The other concepts, algebra etc, are vague theories which are not essential for everyday living. If the two different functions had been separated, as are English Language and English Literature, more students would not be afraid of maths.