Description

A concise, living doorway into the voices of the past. A vivid map of place and pronunciation, preserved for today's readers. This volume gathers James Jennings's meticulous work on the dialect of the West of England, with a particular focus on Somersetshire. It reads as both a scholarly dialectology study and a lyrical portrait of everyday speech, tracing regional patterns, phonetic quirks, and the social textures that shaped words across Victorian England. Beyond its pages, the book stands as a landmark in linguistic geography and philology reference, offering a clear, practical lens for linguistic researchers, philology students, and curious readers alike. Long celebrated in scholars' circles, the work has been out of print for decades. Alpha Editions is honoured to restore it for today's and future generations - not merely as a reprint, but as a carefully prepared artefact of cultural memory. This edition respects Jennings's intent while presenting a fresh, accessible experience, complemented by an illustrated glossary that illuminates Somersetshire pronunciation notes and west country dialects for modern readers. Whether you are a casual reader drawn to vivid regional speech, a classic-literature collector, or a student of linguistic heritage, this complete dialect collection offers documentary richness and lasting fascination. A cultural treasure that enriches our understanding of language, place, and voice in Victorian England and beyond.