Geordie is a term used to describe a person originating from Tyneside and the former coal mining areas of northern County Durham and the dialect spoken by such people. There are a number of rival theories to explain how the term came about, though all accept that it derives from a familiar diminutive form of the name "George". In recent times geordie has also started to mean a supporter of Newcastle United football club no matter where their origin often including people from well outside the traditional area. This movement is opposed by traditional geordies however both due to their wanting to seem unique and the fact that many of them are supporters of the rival football club Sunderland.

Derivation of the term

One explanation is that it was established during the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745. The Jacobites declared that the natives of Newcastle were staunch supporters of the Hanoverian Kings, in particular of George II during the 1745 rebellion. This contrasted with rural Northumbria, which largely supported the Jacobite cause. If true, the term may have derived from a popular anti-Hanoverian song, which calls the first Hanoverian king "Geordie Whelps", meaning "George the Guelph".

An alternative (and more likely) explanation for the name is that local miners used "Geordie" safety lamps designed by George Stephenson, rather than the "Davy Lamps" designed by Humphry Davy which were used in other mining communities. This is the version that is generally preferred by the Geordies themselves.

The term Geordie is often used to cover all the peoples of the North East , though this usage is generally confined to people from other parts of the United Kingdom, and is regarded as incorrect by North-Easterners themselves, who use the term exclusively to mean persons from Tyneside. People from Wearside are termed Mackems, whilst natives of Teesside are generally referred to as Smoggies.

The Geordie dialect

Geordie is also a term for the distinctive dialect of the people of Northumbria. Geordie derives much less influence from French and Latin than does Standard English, being substantially Angle and Viking in origin. The accent and pronunciation, like in Scotland, reflect old Anglo-Saxon pronunciations, accents and usages.

Personal pronouns differ markedly from Standard English: Geordies use "youse" for plural "you", "me" for "my", "us" for "me", "wor" for "our". The word "wor" is usually placed before the given name of the person being the subject of conversation to denote that they are a family member, for example "wor Allan" or "wor da" (father). It is also quite common for Geordies to use the word "man" for both men and women, as in "howay man" (c'mon you).

Vowel sounds are also quite unusual. "er" on the end of words becomes "a" ("father" is pronounced "fatha", both "a" sounds as in "hat"). Many "a" sounds become more like "e": "hev" for "have". Double vowels are often pronounced separately: "boat" becomes "boh-ut". Some words acquire extra vowels ("growel" for "growl", "cannet" for "can't"). The "or" sound in words like "talk" becomes "aa", while "er" sounds in words like "work" becomes "or". In Wearside, the "oo" in words like "cook", "book" or "look" becomes "uu".

Geordie also has a large amount of vocabulary not seen in other English dialects. Words still in common use today include "canny" for "pleasant", "gadgie" for "man", "hyem" for "home", "divn't" for "don't", "bairn" and "grandbairn" for "child" and "grandchild", "hacky" for "dirty", and "howay" meaning something like "come on" or "well done". When a Geordie uses the word "larn" for teach, it is not a misuse of the English word "learn"; the word is derived from the Anglo Saxon word "laeran", meaning to teach.

In recent times, it appears to have become fashionable to have a Geordie accent, with much more heard on media elsewhere in the country than previously. For example, the commentators on the UK edition of Big Brother have a Geordie accent. The accent was also popularised by the humorous comic magazine Viz, where the accent itself is often conveyed phonetically by unusual spellings within the comic strips. Viz magazine itself was founded on Tyneside by a couple of Geordie lads.

External links

• Historical origins of the dialect – http://www.thenortheast.fsnet.co.uk/GeordieOrigins.htm
• English to Geordie translator – http://www.geordie.org.uk/
• Geordie dictionary – http://www.geordiepride.demon.co.uk/dictionary.htm