Words Apart: A Dictionary of Northern Ireland English

Words Apart is a study of the rich linguistic heritage of the people of Northern Ireland, providing an invaluable introduction to this remarkable and eloquent variety of English. The book is not simply a dictionary: it is a record of the unique interaction of three peoples, the Irish, the English and the Scots, and reflects a history of courage, humor and stoicism. This study is in four sections. The first provides a brief account of the growth and development of the English language in Northern Ireland. Section Two offers a lexicon which includes pronunciations, etymologies and illustrative sentences from live recordings made in both rural and urban areas in all six counties. Section Three is an alphabetically-arranged list of English words followed by their equivalents in the dialect. The final section includes extended samples of verse, prose and recorded speech. This book will be of value to the general reader as well as to those with a special interest in Irish Studies, in variations in English and in the spread of English throughout the world.