pitmatic

Pitmatic, is a dialect of English used in the county of Northumberland. It developed as a separate dialect from Northumbrian and Geordie due to the specialised terms mineworkers used. An example of this is the word 'Cuddy'. In Northumberland and Tyne and Wear this term is an abbreviation of the name Cuthbert, but in Pitmatic, as in Lowland Scots, it denotes a horse, specifically a pit pony. Traditionally, pitmatic, together with some rural Northumbrian communities incuding Rothbury, used a distinctive soft rolled R produced at the very back of the throat. Since the closure of the areas deep mines, and the subsequent dilution of the areas identity, this usage is now less frequently heard, with many young people speaking in a more generic 'Geordie-like' way. However, it can still sometimes be detected, especially amongst elderly populations in more rural areas.

Pitmatic

See also