Viking Influence on the Yorkshire Dialect: 30 Words with Danish Origins

How Viking Language Lives On in Yorkshire: From ‘Bairn’ to ‘Kirk’: Danish Influence on language in Yorkshire, including in place names across the county of Yorkshire.

JORVIK Viking Festival 2024. Image from Visit York.

Yorkshire Dialect Meets Danish: The Viking Legacy in Everyday Words

The Yorkshire dialect has been influenced by Old Norse due to the Viking presence in the region during the early medieval period. Danish, being a North Germanic language, shares roots with Old Norse, and many words in the Yorkshire dialect have parallels in modern Danish.

Here are some examples:

1. Bairn (Child)

• Yorkshire Dialect: “Bairn” means child.
• Danish: The Danish word for child is “barn,” which is almost identical.

2. Beck (Stream)

• Yorkshire Dialect: “Beck” refers to a small stream.
• Danish: “Bæk” in Danish also means a small stream. This word is common in place names across Yorkshire.

3. Kirk (Church)

• Yorkshire Dialect: “Kirk” is used in some parts of Yorkshire to mean church.
• Danish: “Kirke” is the Danish word for church, showing a clear connection.

4. Garth (Yard or Enclosure)

• Yorkshire Dialect: “Garth” refers to an enclosed yard or garden.
• Danish: “Gård” means a farm or a yard, which is very similar in meaning and form.

5. Sneck (Latch or Door Fastening)

• Yorkshire Dialect: “Sneck” is a term for a latch on a door.
• Danish: “Snække” is an old Danish word that relates to a type of fastener or latch.

6. Lop (Flea)

• Yorkshire Dialect: “Lop” is an old Yorkshire word for flea.
• Danish: “Loppe” is the modern Danish word for flea, almost identical to the Yorkshire term.

7. Thwaite (Clearing in a Forest)

• Yorkshire Dialect: “Thwaite” is a term used for a clearing in a forest, and it’s common in place names.
• Danish: “Tved” or “Thved” is a Danish term with a similar meaning, showing its Old Norse roots.

8. Fell (Hill or Mountain)

• Yorkshire Dialect: “Fell” is used to describe a hill or mountain.
• Danish: “Fjeld” is the Danish word for mountain, closely related in meaning and form.

9. Wapentake (Administrative Division)

• Yorkshire Dialect: “Wapentake” was an old administrative division, similar to a hundred in other parts of England.
• Danish: “Våbentag” is an old Danish term related to the assembly of arms, indicating a historical administrative or military gathering.

10. Gimmer (Young Ewe)

• Yorkshire Dialect: “Gimmer” refers to a young female sheep.
• Danish: “Gimmer” is also used in Danish to describe a young ewe, highlighting the direct linguistic connection.

It’s nost just Yorkshore, let’s look at Cumbria too

Old Norse had a significant impact on the modern Cumbrian dialect, primarily due to Norse and Norse-Gael settlers who likely arrived on the Cumbrian coast during the 10th century, traveling from Ireland and the Isle of Man.

This influence is particularly evident in the numerous place names of Norse origin found in coastal regions of Cumbria.

For instance, Ulverston derives from Ulfrs tun (‘Ulfr’s farmstead’), Kendal from Kent dalr (‘valley of the River Kent’), and Elterwater from eltr vatn (‘swan lake’).

Additionally, many traditional dialect words in Cumbria are remnants of Old Norse. Examples include beck (from bekkr, meaning ‘stream’), laik (from leik, meaning ‘to play’), lowp (from hlaupa, meaning ‘to jump’), and glisky (from gliskr, meaning ‘shimmering’).

11. Laik (Play)

• Yorkshire Dialect: “Laik” means to play or have fun.
• Danish: “Lege” means to play.
• Notes: The Yorkshire term derives from Old Norse “leika”, showing a clear connection in meaning and origin.

12. Skeg (Beard)

• Yorkshire Dialect: “Skeg” refers to a beard.
• Danish: “Skæg” also means beard.
• Notes: The words are identical in pronunciation and meaning, illustrating a direct linguistic link.

13. Snarl (To Tangle)

• Yorkshire Dialect: “Snarl” means to entangle or become knotted.
• Danish: “Snarre” carries a similar meaning of entanglement.
• Notes: Both terms originate from Old Norse “snara”, meaning to twist or coil.

14. Midden (Dung Heap)

• Yorkshire Dialect: “Midden” refers to a dung heap or manure pile.
• Danish: “Mødding” has the same meaning.
• Notes: This term is common in rural contexts and shows the agricultural vocabulary shared between the languages.

15. Kist (Chest or Box)

• Yorkshire Dialect: “Kist” means a chest or large box.
• Danish: “Kiste” also means a chest or coffin.
• Notes: Both words stem from Old Norse “kista”, highlighting the shared terminology.

16. Gate (Street or Road)

• Yorkshire Dialect: “Gate” is used to mean a street or road, as seen in place names like “Briggate” in Leeds.
• Danish: “Gade” means street.
• Notes: This usage persists in many Yorkshire place names, reflecting Old Norse “gata”.

17. Nab (Hill or Headland)

• Yorkshire Dialect: “Nab” refers to a hilltop or promontory.
• Danish: “Nab” can mean a protrusion or prominence.
• Notes: Derived from Old Norse “knappr”, meaning a knob or summit.

18. Sark (Shirt)

• Yorkshire Dialect: “Sark” means a shirt or undershirt.
• Danish: “Særk” is an archaic term for a chemise or undergarment.
• Notes: Both originate from Old Norse “serkr”.

19. Thorp (Village or Hamlet)

• Yorkshire Dialect/Place Names: “Thorp” denotes a small village, evident in place names like “Gawthorpe.”
• Danish: “Torp” means a small settlement or farm.
• Notes: This element is common in English place names, signifying Viking settlements.

20. Scrat (To Scratch or Scrape)

• Yorkshire Dialect: “Scrat” means to scratch or scrape.
• Danish: “Skrabe” means to scrape.
• Notes: Both words share roots in Old Norse “skrapa”.

21. Muckle (Large or Great)

• Yorkshire Dialect: “Muckle” means big or large.
• Danish: “Mængde” means quantity or amount, though the direct term is more Scots. The connection is stronger with Old Norse “mikill”, meaning great or large.
• Notes: This term is more prevalent in northern English and Scottish dialects.

22. Slack (Valley or Depression)

• Yorkshire Dialect: “Slack” refers to a shallow valley or depression between hills.
• Danish: “Slak” can mean gentle or slack, relating to gentle slopes.
• Notes: Derived from Old Norse “slakki”, meaning a shallow valley.

23. Gill (Deep Narrow Valley)

• Yorkshire Dialect: “Gill” denotes a ravine or narrow valley, often with a stream.
• Danish: “Gil” refers to a ravine or gorge.
• Notes: Originates from Old Norse “gil”, used in many Yorkshire place names like “Gilling.”

24. Scarp (To Scratch or Cut)

• Yorkshire Dialect: “Scarp” means to scratch or carve.
• Danish: “Skarp” means sharp.
• Notes: The relation highlights the shared concept of cutting or sharpness, stemming from Old Norse roots.

25. Lug (Ear)

• Yorkshire Dialect: “Lug” refers to the ear.
• Danish: “Lug” isn’t used in this context, but Old Norse “lugga” means to pull hair, possibly relating to the ear by extension.
• Notes: This term is more broadly found in various English dialects.

26. Clag (To Stick or Adhere)

• Yorkshire Dialect: “Clag” means to stick or adhere, often used to describe sticky mud.
• Danish: “Klæg” means sticky or clayey.
• Notes: Both terms are connected through Old Norse “kleggi”.

27. Cow (To Shiver or Crouch)

• Yorkshire Dialect: “Cow” means to shiver from cold or fear.
• Danish: “Kau” isn’t directly used, but Old Norse “kúga” means to cow or subdue.
• Notes: Illustrates subtle semantic shifts over time.

28. Dale (Valley)

• Yorkshire Dialect/Place Names: “Dale” refers to a valley, as seen in “Ribblesdale.”
• Danish: “Dal” also means valley.
• Notes: Widely used in English place names, showing clear Old Norse influence.

29. Gait (Way or Path)

• Yorkshire Dialect: “Gait” can refer to a way or manner of walking.
• Danish: “Gade” means street, while “gang” refers to walking or gait.
• Notes: The term connects through Old Norse “gata”.

30. Ket (Rubbish or Waste)

• Yorkshire Dialect: “Ket” means rubbish, dirt, or waste.
• Danish: “Kød” means meat, but Old Norse “ket” referred to carrion or waste meat.
• Notes: Shows how meanings can evolve over time.

These examples illustrate how the Viking influence in Yorkshire has left a lasting impact on the local dialect, with many words in common with modern Danish due to their shared Old Norse origins.

We found a great resource here with Yorkshire Dialect Words of Old Norse Origin, detailing Yorkshire dialect word, the Generally accepted meaning and Old Norse source word.