A Glossary of Provincial Words & Phrases in use in Somersetshire

audiobook

A Glossary of Provincial Words & Phrases in use in Somersetshire

by Wadham Pigott Williams

EN·~1 hours·1 chapter

Chapters

1 total
1

Transcribed from the 1873 Longmans, Green, Reader & Dyer edition by David Price, email ccx074@pglaf.org

1:18:05

Description

Step into the world of nineteenth‑century Somerset, where the hills and market towns still echo with a language that feels both ancient and charmingly familiar. This carefully compiled glossary gathers hundreds of words and expressions collected from surgeons, scholars and country folk, preserving the quirks of a dialect that modern life and the railway were already driving away. Readers will enjoy a window onto everyday speech—from agricultural terms to colorful idioms—shown alongside clear definitions that bring the county’s voice back to life.

An insightful introduction frames the linguistic treasure, offering a brief tour of the region’s history, settlement patterns and the social forces that shaped its speech. The author’s thoughtful commentary explains why such regional vocabularies matter, inviting listeners to reflect on how language records identity and change. Whether you’re a lover of folklore, a student of linguistics, or simply curious about England’s rural heritage, this work offers a vivid, accessible map of Somerset’s spoken past.

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Details

Language

en

Duration

~1 hours (74K characters)

Publisher of text edition

Project Gutenberg

Release date

2008-04-28

Rights

Public domain in the USA.

About the author

WP

Wadham Pigott Williams

b. 1821

Best remembered for preserving the rich local speech of Somerset, this 19th-century clergyman helped turn everyday regional language into a lasting record. His work offers a lively glimpse of rural English life and the words people actually used.

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