[1] "Dictionnaire Languedocien-francois," par l'Abbe de Sauvages.
"_Franchiman_ est forme de l'Allemand, et signifie _homme de
France_." The Abbe wrote in 1756, when he did not care to translate
too literally; the Frank-man meant the _Free man_, for the Franks
called themselves so, as "the free people." This learned Gascon, in
his zeal for the _Langue d'oc_, explains, "_Parla Franchiman_," means
"parler avec l'accent (bon ou mauvais) des provinces du nord du
royaume:" an insinuation that the French accent might not be
positively the better one. The good Abbe had such a perfect
conviction of the superiority of his Languedocians, that he would
have no other servants not only for their superior integrity, but for
that of their language.
[2] "Palgrave," 174. They also received some in exchange, many words
in Caesar being British.--Hearne's "Leland's Itinerary," vi.
[3] In that very curious "Logonomia Anglica" of the learned Alexander
Gill--the father, for his son of the same name succeeded him as
master of St. Paul's--we have the orthoepy of our dialects given with
great exactness. This work was produced about 1619, and we find the
peculiar provincial pronunciation of the present day. A work so
curious in the history of our vernacular tongue should not have been
composed in Latin. Mr. Guest has carefully translated a judicious
extract,--"History of English Rhythms," ii, 204.
[4] The late Dr. Valpy told me that Mr. Walker, the orthoepist, had
so intimate a knowledge of the provincial peculiarities of
pronunciation, that in a private course of reading at Oxford with
twelve undergraduates, he told each of them the respective place of
their birth or early education.
[5] Tooke's "Diversions of Purley," p. 141.
[6] In "Anecdotes of the English Language," by Samuel Pegge, an
antiquary, who called himself "an old modern," the reader will find
several curious exemplifications of the vulgar dialect, sometimes
fancifully, but often satisfactorily ascertained. It is amusing to
detect what we call _vulgarisms_ composing the language of Chaucer
and Shakspeare, and even our Bibles and Liturgies.
[7] RAY was the first who collected "Local Words, _North Country_ and
_South_ and _East Country_." "The Exmoor Scolding and Courtship" is
an authentic specimen of the _Exmoor Language_. The words were
collected by a blind fiddler, and the dialogues were written by a
clergyman with the fiddler's assistance, before 1725. We have a
glossary of Lancashire words and phrases, contained in the humorous
works of Tim Bobbin. Other county glossarists have appeared within
the last fifteen years:--BROCKETT'S "North Country Words;" "Suffolk
Words and Phrases," by Major MOOR; Mr. ROGER WILBRAHAM'S "Attempt at
a Glossary of Cheshire Words;" Mr. JENNINGS' "Dialect of the West of
England," particularly the Somersetshire words; Mr. BRITTON on those
of Wiltshire; and the Rev. JOSEPH HUNTER has given "The Hallamshire
Glossary," to which are appended "Words used in Halifax," by the Rev.
JOHN WATSON, and also an addition to the "Yorkshire Words," by
THORESBY, the Leeds antiquary.
An investigation of the origin, nature, and history of DIALECTS was
proposed by the late Dr. BOUCHER for a complete glossary of all the
dialects of the kingdom. But these precious stores, not only of the
vocables but of the domestic history of England--its manners,
occupations, amusements, diet, dress, buildings, and other
miscellaneous topics--rich in all the affluence of the laborious
readings of more years than the siege of Troy, was but bread cast
away on the waters, and was never given to the public for want of
public support. After the author's death, two eminent editors
zealously resumed the work, which was already prepared; but the
public remained so little instructed of its value, it suddenly
ceased! Works of national utility should be consecrated as national
property, and means should be always ready to avert such a calamity
to the literature of England, and to the information of Englishmen,
as was the suppression of the labours of BOUCHER.