History, Wonder Tales, Fairy Tales, Myths and Legends The Flemish | Page 104

The South Pembrokeshire Accent
The distinctive qualities of the English spoken in south Pembrokeshire was noted by
George Owen in 1603 ‘‘… the most parte of the countrey speacketh Englishe and in yt
noe use of the Welshe. The names of the people are mere Englishe eche familye
followinge the Englishe fashion in surnames. Their buildings are Englishe like in town
reddes and villages and not in severall and lone houses. Their dyett is as the Englishe
people uses as the common foode is beefe … These reasons and alsoe for that most
of the anciente gentlemen came thither out of England … might verye fittlye procure it
the name of Little England beyonde Wales.”
In 1930, P.V.Harris wrote that, "in many ways the dialect of South Pembrokeshire is
the most fascinating in Britain, and owing to the country's remoteness, perhaps the
least adulterated in recent years. Many of the words are pre-Chaucerian which have
fallen into disuse elsewhere and some of the more familiar words still have the earlie