CorpComms Magazine

Publisher Collins is using Twitter to investigate whether regional dialect words are dead.

Working with seven local dialect societies, Collins has compiled a list of 21 words believed to have become extinct in the last 30 years.

These include drangway (Devonian for a narrow lane), puckaterry (a Norfolk word for muddle), bari (Northumbrian word for pretty) and fratching (quarrel).

People are being asked to send in responses via Twitter revealing the last time they heard the word or if it is indeed still in use.

Those found to be still in existence will be added to Collins Corpus, a database of 4.4 billion English words used to compile the eponymous dictionary.

However, Elaine Higgleton, editorial director of Collins English Dictionaries, said there were no plans to resurrect extinct words, but if there was 'proof of life' then words would be monitoredfor possible future inclusion.

People should tweet details to @localwords of where and when they last heard the word and who can potentially be identified as its last known user.

Zamzoden - soft, half-baked

Kickshaw - an amusement

Shawm - to warm oneself

Hippetyclinch - limp

Puckaterry - muddle

Brawk - to burp

Parzle - stroll

Galasses - braces

Agglesteans - hailstones

Settul - home

Wassuck - waste of space

Dree - monotonous

Ommuck - sandwich

Wambly - faint

Squaddy - muddy

Muckwash - hot and bothered

Roily - upset (of stomach)

share me: del.icio.us | digg | reddit | Tweet