If you are from Dundee or you’ve moved here, you will inevitably have come across the Dundonian dialect.
It’s a way of speaking that’s unique to us Dundonians. And it’s so distinctive that people from outside the city often have no clue whatsoever about what we’re saying, or why we say things differently to everyone else.
Which is quite a good feeling.
Last week, I started a new segment on Dundee Culture called ‘Dundonian Word of the Week’.
I’m planning to highlight a Dundonian word once a week and I started off with “cundie” which is the Dundee word for a drain.
I explained its meaning and gave an example of how to use it in a sentence and it got a great reception.
Stuart Cosgrove, the author and football pundit, got in touch to say it came from the French word ‘conduit’.
Taking Dundonian to the wider world
Dundonian words and phrases can be amazing and speaking them, and speaking about them, is a lot of fun.
Some of my favourite words include “peh”, which of course is the Dundee word for “pie”.
But one of the funniest – and equally controversial – has got to be “circle”, which is the Dundee word for “roundabout”.
🔡🏴🗣️ Today, I'm starting off a new weekly series on Dundonian words. I got inspiration after that post I did yesterday.
🌧️ So what better way to start up first with "cundie"#DundonianWordOfTheWeek #DundonianWords pic.twitter.com/G5RQ1CQ2gs
— Dundee Culture (@DundeeCulture) June 9, 2022
The Courier website asked the question ‘Does Dundee have circles or roundabouts’ just the other week and it sparked lots of comments.
I have a feeling this is going to be an endless debate.
(One of those that goes round and round in circles.)
I like to spread the word about Dundonian words and phrases whenever I can.
I was one of the speakers at Pecha Kucha Dundee a few years ago – it’s an event where people get to show 20 slides and talk about each one for 20 seconds – and during my presentation I brought up KoreanBilly’s video about Dundonian words.
KoreanBilly is an internet celebrity who rose to fame for trying out accents and dialects from across the UK.
Afterwards I posted about it on social media and KoreanBilly responded and praised the use of the video in my talk.
Is Dundonian a language? Ask the scientists
I’m still learning Dundonian and I’ve lived here all my life.
Another favourite of mine is “teckle”, which means “something good or great”.
But it was only when I talked with Gary Robertson, the Dundee Street poet, that I got an understanding of what it meant.
Dundonian has been described by scientists as being “as good as a second language” and I have to agree.
There have also been calls for the Dundonian dialect to be studied and used for educational purposes.
In late 2020, Abertay University did just that when it opened up a new online lab dedicated to studying the Dundonian dialect and the way languages are stored in the brain.
Personally I believe letting younger people know about the wonders of the Dundonian dialect is a great way to keep these words and phrases alive for the next and future generations.
It’s another of the benefits of being a Dundonian. We essentially have our own language – and I find that very teckle indeed.
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