Bradford Language Guide
Ear all, see all, say nowt. Eat all, sup all, pay nowt. And if ever thou does owt fer nowt – allus do it fer thisse
If you can read this without Google Translate then your'e in luck. English is the main Language spoken in Bradford but with a Yorkshire accent.
While over 85% of Bradfordians speak English, other languages spoken are Panjabi, Urdu, Polish, Bengali, Pashto, 0.5% Gujarati, Arabic, Slovak, & South Asian.
All public services, transport, shops, restaurants, fast food takeaways, public houses, Banks speak English.
Bradford was once known for its broad Yorkshire dialect and accent. Examples of the old Yorkshire dialect can be found in literary works such as ‘Wuthering Heights’ by Emily Bronte or the film Billy Liar.
People often get confused with dialect, slang and accent. Dialect is like a language in its own right which has developed organically over many centuries. Slang is just made up words which go in and out of fashion. There is also a difference between accent (the way you pronounce words) and dialect (the words that you use), although they are often related to each other.
Today much of the broad Yorkshire dialect has been diluted to the point where you will only hear the odd saying hear and there.
When asking a Bradfordian “How are you?” you may get a reply "Ahm fair t'middlin'." which means I'm not doing too badly, thanks or "Ahm nobbut middlin'." – I'm doing pretty badly, actually.. Most likely they'll reply “Aw right thanks.”
Instead of asking you “How are you?” they may say “Aye up?” This is a common expression of saying hello when meeting someone in a public house (bar). It is usually accompanied with a nod of the head while lifting a pint of beer, showing it to you then taking a drink.
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When meeting someone for the first time in the morning it is customary greet them with by saying "Morning" Drop the "GOOD" from "Good Morning" it is never used. Say it loudly and reasonably fast with purpose. After 12am when passing someone in the street just nod your head and say "Afternoon"
If you do a good deed for a Bradfordian they may reply with "Ta" sounds like Tar. This is a very common way of saying thank you.
"Nice One" This is something people often say if someone does them a favour. "Nice One! Cheers Mate" or " Nice One! Thanks Love"
If you are asked "Do you want a Brew?" They are asking "would you like a cup of tea?" If you are a coffee drinker just say so.