English as We Speck It in Ireland

This book deals with the Dialect of the English Language that is spoken in Ireland. As the Life of a people-according to our motto-is pictured in their speech, our picture ought to be a good one, for two languages were concerned in it-Irish and English. The part played by each will be found specially set forth in Chapters IV and VII; and in farther detail throughout the whole book. The articles and pamphlets that have already appeared on this interesting subject-which are described below-are all short. Some are full of keen observation; but very many are mere lists of dialectical words with their meanings. Here for the first time-in this little volume of mine-our Anglo-Irish Dialect is subjected to detailed analysis and systematic classification. I have been collecting materials for this book for more than twenty years; not indeed by way of constant work, but off and on as detailed below. The sources from which these materials were directly derived are mainly the following.