Geordies
Geordie is term used to describe a person originating from Tyneside and even more especially an individual from Newcastle-upon-Tyne. 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'.
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.
Geordie is also a term for the distinctive dialect of the people of Tyneside. Geordie derives much less influence from French and Latin than does Standard English, being substantially Angle in origin.
Personal pronouns differ markedly from Standard English: Geordies use "we" for "us", "youse" for plural "you", "me" for "my", "us" for "me", "wor" for "our". It is also quite common for Geordies to use the word 'man' for both men and women, as in 'howay man' (hello man).
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".
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", "hacky" for "dirty" and "Howay" meaning something like "Come on". When a Geordie uses the word "larn" for teach, he is not misusing the English word "learn", he is using the Anglo Saxon word "laeran" which meant teach.
The term Geordie is often used to cover all the peoples of the North East England, though this usage is generally confined to people from other parts of the Uited 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/Mackem distinction follows from the huge rivalry between the two local football teams - Sunderland A.F.C. and Newcastle United F.C.
