Spanish fishermen brought “bacalao,” their name for cod. I now echo the same as someone who had later issues in life, part of which listening to the stupid jokes and snickers, oh you’re a Newfie. Other languages and dialects that have influenced Newfoundland English I forgot to add scoff to the list.

Then I have to re-word it because people don’t understand lol. Today, some words from Newfoundland English have been adopted through popular culture in other places in Canada (especially Ontario and eastward). This is a carryover from West Country dialects and is still common in southwest England, particularly Bristol. Hahaha, I might just do that! As in “my god, you got that beer gone some fast. As an Aussie currently wandering around Newfoundland I love this as there are a surprising number of common/similar terms which are probably indicative of our common Irish/Scottish/Cockney backgrounds. Of course, this one isn't unique to Newfoundland, but they use it A LOT. To non-Newfoundlanders, speakers of Newfoundland English may seem to speak faster than speakers of General Canadian. So far, he hasn’t managed to use “glitter”—the term for freezing rain that builds up as ice on branches and wires—or “fairy squall,” a sudden gust of wind that seems to come from nowhere, as if conjured by supernatural forces. Don’t know when or understand why the term Newfie is offensive, even to some. ☺️, Ha. In fact, if you've ever been there you may have wished you had a Newfoundland Slang Dictionary handy to help you understand everything that was being said. Bad English on my part but my first language is Newfienese. I have no idea why everything is female out here, but "how's she gettin' on?" Then he dons his newscaster voice and tries it out: “There’s a real screecher of a wind out there today.” He’s silent for a beat. Newfoundland French was deliberately discouraged by the Newfoundland government through the public schools during the mid-20th-century, and only a small handful of mainly elderly people are still fluent in the French-Newfoundland dialect. So it’s my duty to school you all about Newfie-speak, in hopes of easing the transition should you ever make it here. I lived in Alberta for 9 years and always thought it sounded so silly when hearing someone being called a suck lol!

Two very Irish expressions were common: “between the jigs and the reels” (when all is said and done) and “different as chalk and cheese” (no translation needed).

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This population has also lost the French language. Our old neighbours were from Newfoundland and whenever we had a few beers with them, we couldn’t understand a word they said. ", "Do Be Doing Be's: Habitual Aspect in Irish English. Given your angle though, I could rename this post “A CFA’s Guide to Newfoundland English”. “We’ve got cod for supper tonight. Being from “the bay,” people automatically assume I should have a rough accent. There’s no Upper Canada equivalent as far as I know. The resulting dictionary largely achieved its goals, as even more than an academic resource writers, artists, and musicians also find inspiration in its pages. The word should flow like music. Wow, so many of these I use daily and never realized they were specific to Newfoundland. Or we make up our own to suit our needs. In alberta they say “suck” for sook. * you took da side right outta da house – when you have a big yawn Overfishing by these outsized vessels led the Canadian government to impose a moratorium on cod fishing in 1992. Something can be startless which means there is nothing else quite like it!! Gert … meaning very … “with a gert big stick I’ll knock him down. Rubber band or gum band? Words like roomer, floater and stationer have largely disappeared from the vocabulary as technology has progressed and the economy has changed. For others, it all depends on who’s saying it and how. Ooh! Hence the plethora of terms used to describe every stage of seal development, from white-coat (baby) to ragged-jacket (immature) and bedlam (middle-aged) to dotard (old). FEDERAL CHANGE REQUIRES LOWER SKILLED PROVINCIAL NOMINEE APPLICANTS TO DEMONSTRATE MINIMUM LANGUAGE STANDARDS. similar to the Canadian “eh?” We throw it in to make sure that you’re paying attention. Though originally a short form of ‘boy’ it’s actually gender neutral and isn’t interchangeable with ‘boy’. These narratives were inspired by a world that was both harsh and beautiful, good and bad—the dichotomy at the heart of all great tales. LOL. It’s sad. Perhaps there simply weren’t enough words to describe the erratic weather and rock-lashed land, the complex history of the people who settled there, and the boundless sea that surrounded them.