To "offer to do a thing" means "to attempt to do it," not to express willingness to do it.

"GROWED = grew, grown. At Culmstock a labourer, about 35, native of Wiveliscombe, speaking of a particular kind of weed, said, 'Tis the wis thing growed.'-May 30th, 1885. F. T. E."

This form is always used for both past tense and past participle. Another example of the constant and persistent use of the weakly inflected form of verbs, rather than the strong. (See W. Som. Gram. p. 43 et seq.)

"HACKLE = the long, thin neck-feather of the cock-bird among poultry. Rhymes with 'shackle' and 'tackle.' When I was a boy at Tiverton, and, with my schoolmates, much engaged in making artificial flies to entrap the trout in the river Exe, we made much use of the neck-feathers of the Cristatus ales, or Gallus, and they were commonly called hackles among us. P. O. H."

See Pulman.

“HAM O' PORK. In speaking of the joint, it is usual to call it a ham o' pork, while simple ham merely indicates the meat, like beef or mutton. At Culmstock a gamekeeper, aged about 36, speaking of certain preparations for an event which did not come off, said, 'They'd a-got everything all in order. They'd a-dressed a ham o' pork and a gurt piece o' beef; but twad'n no good arter all.'-Aug. 14th, 1884. F. T.E."

"HELP. Transfer of gerund to principal verb following help. A gardener, about 40, native of Exeter, speaking of a cherry-tree which appeared to be dying, as he thought, from a wire having been left bound around the stem when it was young, said, 'I can mind help cutting down several trees by my time that we found had been killed that way.'-May 22nd, 1885. F. T. E."

This transfer of the tense belonging to the auxiliary from it to the principal verb is constantly heard in the West, particularly in the use of let and help. A man who was leaving his cottage said to me, of a person who came to see it, “I did'n know the man, but I let 'n zeed th' 'ouse." So I have often heard, "We help loaded the wagon avore we stopped to breakfast." In both of these very common forms of speech the past construction is given by the principal verb, instead of the literary form; i.e. to use the past tense of the auxiliary

before the infinitive of the principal. "I let 'n zeed," "We help loaded," instead of "I let him see," "We helped to load." So also in the above "help cutting," for "helping to cut," we see a similar change.

"HER, used for he. At Cullompton a woman (see UPSTORE) said, in reply to a question, 'Why he zaid zo his-sul, did'n 'er?'-September 8th, 1884. F. T. E."

See W. Som. Gram. p. 35.

"HER, used as a nominative for she. At Cullompton a woman (see UPSTORE) said in the witness-box, 'Her come to me, and her zaid how volks was tellin' 'bout it; but I wad'n gwain to zay nort to she.' The same woman repeatedly used the word in the same manner.-Sept. 8th, 1884. F. T. E." The usual form in Devon and Somerset.

This is no mere effect of ignorance or, as it is called, bad grammar.

“panne hure tornde þat mayde bri3t

þar as þat shryn hym was ful ri3t.”

Sir Ferumbras, 1. 5045.

"pan hur (Florippe) spak pat made 3yng: (maid young) 'y ponke god of þys tydyng,

& marie by moder dere."-Ibid. 1. 5223.

"For lever here (St. Editha) was pe pore to ffedi
be maymot pe seeke to wasshe and hele,

and blynd lazerus and croked in chirch to lede,
and from pe deyth to save ry3t fele."

Chron. Vil. st. 274.

This form is frequently used in these poems.

"The gode burgeis was hom i-come,
and goth to his gardin, as was his wone,

and fond his ympe up i-hewe.

'Oh,' thought he, her was a sscherewe.'

Metrical Romances, vol. iii. p. 70.

"HORSE-JESSAMINE = Syringa. 'I had that horse-jessamine from Mrs. ———.' Woman, 68, life-long resident at Cheriton Fitzpaine.-June 10th, 1884. S. R."

This means coarse-flowered jessamine.

It appears to have escaped notice that horse, as an affix, seems to have the force of 'coarse,' 'gross,' 'rough,' just as the suffix accia has in Italian. Strange it is that the gentlest

of animals should be selected to express the very antithesis of his own nature. Compare horse-ant,' 'horse-balm,' 'horse-daisy,' 'horse-mackerel,' 'horse-mint,' 'horse-radish,' 'horse-play,' 'horse-laugh,' &c. Horse-chestnut is so called from its coarse, rough flavour, as compared with the sweet chestnut; the reason assigned by dictionary-makers, that it was given to horses, is imaginary. Why, if they are right, do we distinguish Castanea vesca as sweet-chestnut"?

It should be noted that, when used to denote coarseness, the word is altogether different in meaning to that in which it denotes some actual connection of, or purpose connecting, the word qualified with 'horse;' as in 'horse-cloth,' 'horsedoctor,' 'horse-jockey,' 'horse-hoe,' 'horse-shoe,' 'horse-mill,' 'horse-power,' &c.

"HUMPY-SCRUMPLES. 'My donkey will eat humpy-scrumples.' Labourer, 60, life-long resident at Stockleigh.—June 26th, 1884. S. R."

This, no doubt, is the same as the Somerset 'Limpern Scrimp' Cow-parsnip (Heraclium sphondylium).

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"IF SO BE if. The phrase 'If so be' is very common, and has often been heard by me at Bridestowe and Sourton.— April, 1885. W. H. M."

This very common phrase implies, throughout the West, something more than simple if; it means 'in the event of,' or if it shall happen.' A person would say, "Nif so be I should'n be able vor to come, I'll let 'ee know."

"IMPROVER= deacon.

He had two with him who weren't proper parsons, but improvers.' Same authority as for STEM. -June 9th, 1884.

S. R."

Applied in ordinary trades to persons who have partly learnt a business, and are employed at low wages while learning better.

"INSTANSHUS = instantaneous.

Mrs. O., aged about 67, farmer's wife, of Little Cranaford, said that, but for her care, some one's illness would have been instanshus death.'April, 1885. W. H. M."

Contractions and changes in long words have been common to all ages.

John Girdeler, in his will, dated 1402: "Also y bequethe atte day of my terment in Harfeld, to an. C. pouere men and wommen, for ye love of god, euerych I. d.... My seketours, William Kyllett," &c.-Fifty Earliest English Wills, p. 11.

KNACKED, for 'knocked.' 'He knacked me down.' Used by a labourer's son, aged 8, born and resident in Teignmouth. -November 12th, 1884. W. C. L."

Common throughout the West.

Short o is constantly

sounded as broad a. Compare tap, stap, knat, for top, stop,

knot.

"Hur tole mer way a zorravul veace

Hur'd gied dree nacks, bit twad'n tha pleace,
In vack hur'd nack'd tha geard'n auver,

Bit cud'n tha hydid guld dayscover."

Nathan Hogg, The Kenton Ghost.

"Bezide, me deer Jan, I'm a blaijed vur ta stap,
As I've villed up me paper vrim bottim ta tap."
Ibid. Eester Vair.

"KNOWLEDGEABLE. Mrs. K., of Bridestowe, aged 84, said, 'Dogs be knowledgeable creatures.'-April, 1885. W. H. M." Very common. A good old word; ought to be still in the literary dialect.

"LAY=lief. Farmer at Culmstock, about 48, speaking of some unpleasant neighbours, said, 'I'd so lay crack stones 'pon the road as live beside o'm.'-November, 1884. F. T. E." The use of this word is very common. "I'd so lay do one as t'other" may be heard daily in all parts of the West.

"LET DOWN = to eat or drink. In the parishes of Bridestowe and Stourton it is very common to hear, 'I can't let nothin' down,' meaning, 'I have no appetite.'-April, 1885. W. H. M."

Mr. Pengelly writes: "Let down' I am familiar with. It refers, as I have heard, to the act of swallowing."

Very common phrase throughout the Western Counties.

46

'LIVIER, for 'persons living.' 'There are many liviers there more than 80 years old.' A middle-aged woman, staying as a nurse at Teignmouth, but a resident of Brixham. Met with at Teignmouth also.-December 21st, 1884. W. C. L."

Insertion of short i is very common; e.g. lovier, lauriel, &c.

"MAHL-SCRALLS = caterpillars. A woman of 60, who had lived all her life at Harpford, Bicton, and Sidmouth, said to me, June 25th, 1884, 'Cabbages at this time of the year are generally full of mahl-scralls. P. O. H."

The only name used in Somerset for the green cabbage caterpillar.

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"MAKE USE OF to eat or drink. At Bridestowe and Stourton it is commonly said, 'I can't make use o' nothin', meaning, I am unable to eat or drink for want of appetite.'-April, 1885. W. H. M."

This is the usual phrase whenever loss of appetite occurs through sickness.

“MOUTH-SPEECH. A middle-aged farmer, a native of Roborough, North Devon, said, 'I have been to the house, but can get no mouth-speech of anybody.'-January 24th, 1885. G. D."

Did he not say, "But can't get no mouth-speech out o' nobody"?

Common in Somerset.

See Fifth Report, 1882.

'MULLYGRUBS = the belly-ache. I have occasionally heard this word used (in a jocose way generally) nearly all my life in Sidmouth and the neighbourhood, and its use is so common that it is hard to fix it upon a single individual. P. O. H."

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"MUMP to beg. To go mumping to go begging. Mumper = a pitiful, mean, sneaking beggar. The term is universal at Sidmouth, and it is an old one; for in the Churchwardens' Accounts in the Parish Chest, under date 1701, the following entry occurs: 'Pd Tho. Gibbs a bill of charges, and caring [carrying] a Mumper to Bridwell [Bridewell], 1s.' It is curious that in N. Bailey's time the word held a higher position in society; for in his Dictionary of 1745 we have: 'Mumper, a genteel beggar.' It seems always to have held at low position in Sidmouth. P. O. H.”

In South Devon and Somerset the idea of imposture is generally included-particularly the pretence of being ill.

"MUZZLE. A labouring man of Great Torrington, describing a fight between two men, said, 'J. G. began to muzzle him about; I mean, by rubbing his nose against the ground.'-September 3rd, 1884. G. M. D.”

"OBLIGATED = bound, compelled, obliged, forced by circumstances. A Sidmouth man, of 50 or more, said to me in March, 1879, 'I refused at first, but I did it afterwards because I was obligated to.' Though only now used by the lowest and the illiterate, this is nevertheless a good word, coming