Forest of Dean English

Forest of Dean English
Forest of Dean English
Vorest
Native to	United Kingdom
Region	Forest of Dean
Ethnicity	Foresters
Language family	Indo-European Germanic West Germanic Ingvaeonic Anglo-Frisian Anglic Old West Saxon West Country English Forest of Dean English; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Early forms	Old English West Saxon Old English Middle English Early Modern English ; ; ;
Writing system	Latin (English alphabet); English Braille, Unified English Braille
Language codes
ISO 639-3	None (mis)
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Forest of Dean English, also known as Vorest^[1] (/vɒrɛst/), Vurust^[2] or Varest^[3] within the dialect itself, is a dialect of English spoken in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, in the West Country of England.^[4] The dialect is distinctive for its notable way of speaking,^[1] such as: a continued use of 'thee' and 'thou' and a lyrical manner of speech, reminiscent of iambic pentameter.^[2] The dialect is in danger of assimilation into West Country English, or outright extinction, due to discrimination against speakers, mass media and social media.^[1] Vorest receives no formal recognition from the UK Government or any other authority. It has no written standard form, nor is it formally taught in schools.^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Learn Forest Speak". BBC Online. BBC Gloucestershire. 2005. Archived from the original on 21 March 2025. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
^ ^a ^b Hughes, Janet (6 September 2020). "Ow Bist? How to speak like a proper Forester". Gloucestershire Live. Reach plc. Archived from the original on 27 June 2025. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
^ "Forest Dialect by Dr Michelle Straw". English Bicknor Local History Group. 13 September 2018. Archived from the original on 14 January 2025. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
^ Handley, Bethany (2 May 2022). "On 'Umbug'". Poetry Foundation. Archived from the original on 21 March 2025. Retrieved 24 June 2025.

Straw, Michelle (2 September 2020). "Forest Dialect : Discourses of dialect, place and identity in the Forest of Dean". English Today. 36 (3: Special Issue). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press: 70–76. doi:10.1017/S0266078420000188. Retrieved 27 June 2025. Full access available to users of The Wikipedia Library.
Griffiths, Jason (November 2019). Reading the Forest : A history and analysis of Forest of Dean literature (PDF). School of Education and Humanities. CORE (Doctor of Philosophy thesis). University of Gloucestershire. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
"Mining in the Forest". BBC Online. BBC Gloucestershire. 2005. Archived from the original on 15 April 2020. Retrieved 27 June 2025.