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Eliot brothers code-switch on several occasions. They speak standard English most
of the time, then switch to Flying Mouse‘s variety when speaking to him.
5. Variety #2: spoken by shepherds (bushrangers)
5a. Sample of dialect
‗Bin and ‗ad a smash,sir,‘ quoth the hireling in hoarse tones, intended to convey deep
regret and concern – ‗bin and dropped a wing o‘ my sheep. They was as quiet in the
yard as old ewes till I heard ‗em rush in the middle of the night, and afore I could get
anigh them they was off into the scrub on the hill – in a body – as one might say.‘
[pp.25-6]
‗Well, sir!‘ pleaded the delinquent, swaying his body backward and forward, ‗I was
next to certain as I‘d drop ‗em every moment – I‘m well aware, sir, as I ought to have
started in, but I walked all day yesterday till I was footsore and too dead-beat to come
in at night – ‗ [p. 26]
‗Good-day, sir,‘ returned the Arcadian gruffly, ‗dessay it‘s all good-day with you – my
sheep‘s all adoin‘ as bad as can be.‘
‗Sorry to hear that, Growlson – catarrah broke out, eh?‘
‗Well, I don‘t know as they‘ve got it yet, sir, but if that new shepherd‘s allowed to come
backards and forrards through my bit of run, my sheep‘ll soon be that poor they may
get the ―guitar,‖ or the scab, or anything else, as only comes from poverty of blood, in
my opinion. Then that ration-carrier ain‘t brought me the right ‗bacca, nor the soap
as I sent for more‘n a fortnight ago, and there‘s a lump of bone in my meat; I know
that storekeeper‘s got a down on me, and my yard wants making up, and there‘s a
sheet of bark off the roof of my hut, and I‘d be glad if you‘d have my account made
out, and let me know how I stand, I‘m a-thinking of leaving next month, sir and –‗ [p.
30]
5b.1 Orthography
h-dropping ‗ad
Respelling bin (been), „dessay
Elision „em, „dessay, „bacca, more‟n, o‟
Elision with no apostrophe backards, forrards
Humorous respelling guitar for catarrah
5b.2 Grammar
a- prefixing anigh, a-thinking
as for that as I sent for, as they‟ve got it
5b.3 Vocabulary
None noted
5c. Dialect area represented
General rural
5d. Density of dialect representation
Medium
5e. Location of dialect
Direct speech
5f. Characteristics of dialect speakers
Male, peripheral, poor and uneducated
5g. Consistency of representation
Fluctuates even within a single speech, but no apparent code-switching (although
possibly the brothers converge a bit towards their employees at points)
http://librarysupport.shef.ac.uk /bullough.pdf
Copyright © 2007, The University of Sheffield
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