Cumbrian Language in its Cultural Context

by Simon Roper

This book delves into the linguistic history of the Cumbrian dialect, tracing its phonological development from the early Middle English period to the present day. With an introductory chapter on historical linguistics to make it more accessible to a layman, this book attempts to place the dialect in its constantly-evolving cultural context.

238 pages, Paperback

Published July 9, 2020

Reviews

[Ian White · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book after watching a couple of the author's excellent You Tube Videos. Like him, part of me is an exiled Cumbrian and I also happen to have a German language degree so when I saw the book I was so excited I bought 2 copies! It's nicely printed (self-published via Amazon) and a lot of research and thinking (backed up by a genuine love of the subject) comes to the fore straight away. I found the first half of the book relatively heavy going because despite the language degree, my knowledge of linguistics is minimal. I kept wanting an audio book version to follow along to... but there are several of Simon's videos on You Tube which can help with this. Once the narrative turned to chapters on culture, folklore, modern dialect and 'turns of phrase, I felt more inspired to keep reading. There's nothing wrong with the first half the book and indeed it is set-up nicely with an opening chapter on an "Introduction to Linguistics" but I did struggle at times and think I'll need to return and find some supplementary material to get the most out of this. The book ends with a chapter on "Readings" including some translations, interpretations and insight. For any Cumbrian interested in language and the area's culture I would say this is a pretty unique and worthwhile purchase. Highly recommended. Thank you Simon.