Previous
Allusions
Chapter 33: The Cousin
Explanation and Analysis—Newfoundland English:
Most of the characters in the novel speak in a fairly standard Canadian English, but some of the older locals in Killick-Claw exhibit features of a dialect called Newfoundland English.
One such character is Alvin Yark, who explains the making of the boat Gandy Goose in Chapter 33:
Went down to 'is shop with a teakettle 'alf full of screench and commenced 'ammering. 'Ammering and sawing 'alf through the night. Then 'e crawled back to the 'ouse to sleep it off on the kitchen floor[.]
One common feature of Newfoundland English is the dropping of the "h" at the beginning of words, which is expressed several times in this passage with the use of the apostrophe. "His" becomes "'is," "half" becomes "'alf," and hammering becomes "'ammering."
During the school pageant in Chapter 34, Beety impersonates Billy Pretty and an older resident, Auntie Fizzard. In her performance, she captures the Newfoundland dialect:
Well, m'dears, Billy thought about it a bit. We knows 'e lives up on the 'ill and Leander's 'ouse is down at the bottom and in between a dozen streets. Billy 'as it all figured out. 'E'll carry the clock down to Leander 'imself.
Not only does Beety exhibit the h-dropping of Newfoundland English, but she also uses colloquialisms like "m'dears" and dialect-specific grammar like "We knows."
Chapter 34: Dressing Up
Explanation and Analysis—Newfoundland English:
Most of the characters in the novel speak in a fairly standard Canadian English, but some of the older locals in Killick-Claw exhibit features of a dialect called Newfoundland English.
One such character is Alvin Yark, who explains the making of the boat Gandy Goose in Chapter 33:
Went down to 'is shop with a teakettle 'alf full of screench and commenced 'ammering. 'Ammering and sawing 'alf through the night. Then 'e crawled back to the 'ouse to sleep it off on the kitchen floor[.]
One common feature of Newfoundland English is the dropping of the "h" at the beginning of words, which is expressed several times in this passage with the use of the apostrophe. "His" becomes "'is," "half" becomes "'alf," and hammering becomes "'ammering."
During the school pageant in Chapter 34, Beety impersonates Billy Pretty and an older resident, Auntie Fizzard. In her performance, she captures the Newfoundland dialect:
Well, m'dears, Billy thought about it a bit. We knows 'e lives up on the 'ill and Leander's 'ouse is down at the bottom and in between a dozen streets. Billy 'as it all figured out. 'E'll carry the clock down to Leander 'imself.
Not only does Beety exhibit the h-dropping of Newfoundland English, but she also uses colloquialisms like "m'dears" and dialect-specific grammar like "We knows."
