The dialect of West Cumbria has a couple of hundred words from West Norse, brought by asylum seekers from the Isle of Man around 925 CE. Its vowels are fairly similar to other accents of the north-east. You will have to read the poem below aloud to recognise the words below, as the vowels differ from RP vowels.
Sheep farming has little reason to change their vocabulary for their flock at different ages. The picture below shows the similarities between Icelandic and Cumbrian:
These are photos of a trek across the volcano that spewed ash across Europe in 2010 – Eyjafjallajökull . The four parts of the name mean “Islands’ Mountains’ ice cap”. Colours are those of recent volcanic activity: járnoxíð, ís, reykur, mosa.
Two old geezers (one not erupting at that moment)
Icelandic is very conservative, refusing to use loanwords from English or anywhere else, so still quite like Old Danish. Many words are still recognisable from our common Germanic history. Try this description of the valley below: Dalurinn þar sem meginlönd Evrópu og Norður-Ameríku færast í sundur
The Lakeland dialect shares up to 300 words with Icelandic. Both received emigrants from West Norway in the 9th century. The map on the home page shows that sheep-farming words are very conservative. The story below is by Jean Scott-Smith of the Lakeland Dialect Society. It was the winning entry for Eric Topping Trophy for best performance in any dialect at National Dialect Festival held in Blackpool October 2019
Droonen i’ reed tape.
In t’ year 2009, t’ Loard cu te Noah, whea was be noo liven i’ Ammleside an’ sed: “Yance mair, t’ earth’s turned varra wicked, and owerrun wid fwolk, an’ things er in a gey hubbleshoo.”
“Build me another ark an’ gether up twa ev ivvery sooart o’ beast an’ burds alang wid a few good living fwolk anaw.” He gev Noah t’ computer design drawin’s, and telt him:“Ye hev six month te git t’ ark finished, an’ than Ah’ll turn rain on t’ Lake District an it’ll last fotty days and fotty neets.”
Et end ev t’ hawf ‘ear, T’ Loard leuked doon and seed Noah hevven a bit bawl in his yard, but ther’ was neah sign ef t’ ark.
“Noah!” he shooted, “Ah’s riddy te turn on t’ rain! Wheer’s t’ ark?”
“Forgie me Loard,” begged Noah, “aw t’ ways things ev deun hev altered. Ah needed Building Regulations Approval an’ Ah’ve bin argyfyin wid t’ fire sarvice aboot a sprinkler system. Me next dooar nebbors say Ah sud hev planning permission fer buildin’ t’ ark in me garden even if it’s nobbut ganna be theer fer a laal bit. Ah hed te gah tull appeal a’ Ah’m still waiten fer t’ Secretary of State’s decision”
“Than t’ Department o’ Transport sed thet a bond wad hev te be possted te cuvver enny future cost fer movin’ ‘lectric powls an’ lines an owt else int’ way sea ther wad be a clear rwoad fer ark te gah doon te Windermer’. Ah telt then hoo Windermer’ wad be cummin tull us, but the’ warn’t hevven enny o’ that.”
“Gitten t’ wood was ganna be a problem. Aw t’ decent trees hev Preservation Orders on them cos we aw leeve in a National Park. Ah tried te tawk sense tull them henvironmentalists, and sed Ah needed t’ wood te save threatened animals – but the’ waddn’t listen!”
“Wen Ah started getherin’ t’ animals up, t’ RSPCA telt me thet Ah was confinin’ wild animals agen ther’ will, an’ t’ pens warn’t big eneuf, an’ hoo it was cruel to put sea menny animals in yah laal spot”
“Than Cumbria Coonty Cooncil an’ t’ Henvironment Agency sed thet the’ wad hev te deah summat cawed an impact study on THY planned flood afoor the’d giv me t’ gah aheed.”
“T’ trade unions lowped on t’ band waggin next and telt me thet Ah cuddn’t use me sons te help build t’ ark. Th’ sed thet Ah cud nobbut hire accredited workers wid ark-buildin’ hexperience.”
“An’ te mak matters warse, Customs and Excise seized aw me assets, reckonen’ thet Ah’m trying te leave t’ country illegally wid hendangered species.”
“Sea, forgive me, Loard, It wad tak ten ‘ears fer me ta finish this ark.”
Aw ov a sudden, t’ skies cleared, t’ sun cum oot, an’ a rainbow stritched across t’ sky. Noah leuked up an assed, “Ye mean thet ye’re nut ganna destroy t’ warld?”
“Nay,” sed t’ Lord. “Officialdom hes beaten me tull it.”