Asum Grammar - Softcover

Judd, Ben

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0955848717 ISBN 13: 9780955848711

Publisher: Vale of Evesham Historical Society, 2008

Synopsis

In deference to the wishes of innumerable readers and at fantastic trouble and expense, we are able to here present a collection of extracts from that learned work, long in preparation but still unpublished, treating upon the fascinating but difficult subject of 'Asum Grammar.' Ben Judd's articles on this mysterious if not mythical tome were a wonderful, long-running and well-loved mainstay in the pages of the Evesham Journal. They treat eruditely and humorously on the matter of Asum, the 'language' once peculiar to Evesham. The current book collects together selected articles and, on the basis that too much of a good thing can be too much, intersperses them with snippets on local vocabulary (places, flowers, birds and suchlike) together with odd poems and snippets in Asum from the letters page of the Evesham Journal. The whole is illustrated by some lovely drawings by E.H. New (from 1904) of many local scenes and buildings.

About this title

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

More `Asum Grammar' (28th April 1956)

In deference to the wishes of innumerable readers and at fantastic trouble and expense, we are able to present here a few more short extracts from that learned work, long in preparation, upon the fascinating but difficult subject of `Asum Grammar.' But first we are strictly enjoined by the compiler to point out on thing especially which he considers to be extremely important yet which may easily be misunderstood by the casual reader if it be not made crystal clear.

In beginning his task, the compiler did not see his enterprise as a joke but rather as a serious effort to save a little bit of old England from spoliation by the unworthy. Himself taught to sound his aitches and conjugate his verbs with utmost propriety (though born, bred and partly educated in the town of his forefathers) he does not always say thee bist himself but will be the last man in the town to make fun of those who do; and, to go further, he will be the first to raise the standard in their defence.

His `Asum Grammar' is intended to do for the Evesham language what the late Mr. Fowler did for the parent tongue in the matter of usage: to stop the rot before it were too late and to insist on purity without pedantry. Here goes, then.

ASS - short for hast. Example, ass thee sin that old ummun wot yuts pigs' fit for er tay? This is the interrogative form. As a categorical statement, it becomes: theets sin that old ummun, etc... which is, grammatically, a very interesting phenomenon indeed.

FUST - first. Example: thee bissn't the fust erv ad, an er'll av tha agyun, if thee knowest wot I myuns.

ERV - 3rd per. sing. (fem only) pres. indic., verb "to have." Example: erv sin tha. Note, that the word "she" does not appear in the Evesham language, except perhaps very occasionally among those who still keep pigs.

Edition details

• Publisher: Vale of Evesham Historical Society
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0955848717
• ISBN 13: 9780955848711
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 116