The peculiar dialect of the English which has been formed in the Now England States of the American Union Is noticed under AMERICANI6M.
ply a provincial word Is meant a word which is not received in the literary language of the time, but which is current among the inhabit ants of some district ; and provincial words may be divided into the following classes : I. Words formerly current in the literary dialect of the language, but which have ceased to be so, and are current only as provincialisms. For example, the word cantle, meaning a piece or fragment, and shard, meaning cowdung, are used provincially in parts of England, though obsolete in the literary language. They were however literary words in the time of Shakspere, and are used by him in 1 Hen. IV., act and Macbeth, act Sometimes au ancient classical word, though current provincially in ordinary discourse, is used as a literary word only in poetry or as a technical term. Thus the old words craven for coward, and dank for damp, which are still used familiarly in the provincial language of some districts, could only be employed as literary words in poetry or in poetical prose ; anal the old word seller, meaning an upper floor, which is current as a provincialism in many parts of the country, is only recognised by the literary language as a legal term, being thus used in the general words of a conveyance (" cellars, sellers," &c.) 2. Words which are not known to have ever been received in the literary language of the country. Many words of this class will occur to any person who consults a provincial glossary of any language. In some cases the word differs widely from any word which occurs either in the modern literary language or iu old writers; more frequently however the difference consists mainly in the form. The Scotch dialect presents obvious examples of all these varieties. Sometimes a provincial word is not a dialectical variety of form, but is a corruption arising from ignorance, as atomy for anatomy, rusty for restire.
Provincial dialects are chiefly preserved among the humbler and Illiterate classes; educated persons generally speak the literary lan guage of the country. 'Moreover they are chiefly preserved in rural districts; and thus many of the provincial words relate to agricultural subjects. (Preface to Boucher'e ' Glossary,' p. xliv.) I u Fielding's time, country gentlCmen in England often spoke the provincial dialect of their county, as may be seen by Squire Western's language in ' Tom Jones.'
Provincialisms, being either ancient classical words, actually obsolete in the literary Language, or diverging words or forms in a parallel dialect, are genuine remains of the ancient language of the country. In this respect they differ materially from the following classes of words : —1. Low, vulgar, or obscene words, which are of universal or general currency, and are not confined to any particular locality. (Lirosees 'Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue,' and the Dictionnaire du Rae Lan gage.') 2. Slang or cant expressions, used by gypsies and thieves for the purpose of concealing the subject of their conversation in the presence of persons who are not their accomplices (called gergo by the Italians, ergot In French, and germania in Spanish). A slang or cant language is often formed among classes of persons following any peculiar pursuit; thus there is a slang of the prize-ring and the stable in this country, and there is said to be a slang among bull-fighters in Spain. 3. Technical words, such as the peculiar Language of sailors or miners. 4. Neologisms, such as the words talented, jeopardise, in English.
Collections of provincial words are important in a philological point of view, as throwing light on the formation, structure, and analogies of languages; they are also Important in a historical point of view, as illustrating the changes In the language of a country.
The glossaries of provincial words which have been published in foreign countries are very numerous, though iu general they have been made with little philological skill or knowledge, and are meagre in the explanations and illustrations of the meanings of the words. For the English language the most recent and comprehensive general works are those of Mr. J. 0. Diet. of Archaic and Provincial Words,' 2 vols. 8ro, 1860; and Wright's 'Dictionary of Provincial and Obsolete English,' 1857; and there are glossaries with specimens in by verso of the dialects of Norfolk, Suffolk, Sussex, Devonshire by Mrs. Palmer, the sister of Sir Joshua Reynolds), Somersetshire, ornwall, Herefordshire, Cheshire, Lancashire, Yorkshire, Cumber land Westmorland, and Northumberland ; to which may be added Jamieson'. 'Scottish Dictionary;' and that of the Northamptonshire dialect, a most cornprehennive work, by Miss Baker.