Merlin Dialect
Posted by Bigfoot on December 15th, 2008
In the state where I live, we have our own way of talking. While the state is known as “Maryland” in standard English, in the local dialect, it’s called “Merlin”. Thus, “Maryland” is what you might call our “full fake name”.
Merlin Dialect differs from standard English in several ways, some of which are:
1. Some vowels are shortened, most often in unaccented syllables. For example, “ee” as in “seen” becomes “i” as in “sin”. This is in common with some dialects of upstate New York. The long “i” before an “r” becomes “a” as in “car”. This is in common with some dialects in eastern Kentucky.
2. The dipthong “ow” as in “cow” becomes “a” as in “cat”. This is similar to Australian English.
3. An “r” is inserted after “a” in some standard English words. This is in common with some dialects in central Texas.
4. Syllables that sound like “air” in standard English sound like the “er” in “her”. This may be spelled either “er” or “ur”.
5. Consonants within groups thereof can disappear.
Some Geographic Terms:
Merlin – The name of our state, located between Virginia, Delaware and Pennsylvania.
Merliner – A person who lives in Merlin.
Balmer – The largest city in Merlin.
Naplis – The capital of Merlin.
Canny – Any of the administrative sections into which Merlin is divided.
Canny Sit – The location of the administrative offices of a particular canny.
Chest Peak Bay – The body of water that almost separates Merlin into two parts.
Amerka – The country of which Merlin is a part.
Amerkin – 1. Of, from or pertaining to Amerka. 2. A citizen of Amerka.
Warshnin – 1. The capital of Amerka, which is partially surrounded by, but not part of Merlin. 2. A canny in western Merlin. 3. A state on the west coast of Amerka, immediately north of Organ.
Klumya – 1. A district coextensive with Warshnin (def. 1). 2. The capitol of Sath Curlina. 3. A city in Merlin, about halfway between Balmer and Warshnin. 4. A country in South America.
Allanic Oshin – The large body of water to the east of Amerka.
Yerp – A continent on the other side of the Allanic Oshin.
Some General Vocabulary:
arn – 1. The metallic element having the atomic number 26. 2. A device for removing wrinkles from clothing. 3. To use such a device to remove such wrinkles.
aspern – A drug used to relieve headaches.
bull (rhymes with standard English “dull”) – 1. To heat a liquid to a temperature hot enough for it to slowly vaporize. 2. To use such heated liquid to cook food.
Calf Lick – A Christian who recognizes the Pope as the highest religious authority on Earth.
crick – 1. A body of flowing water not large enough to be a river. 2. A sound caused by friction between adjoining pieces of metal or wood.
curl – A song sung during the Christmas season.
dan – The opposite of “up”.
dantan – The center, and often the oldest part, of a city.
far – A chemical reaction that consumes oxygen.
farmin – People whose job is to extinguish unwanted fars.
flare – 1. The brightly colored reproductive parts of a plant. 2. A plant having such colored parts.
ford – The opposite of “backwards”.
forn – Of, from, or pertaining to any place outside of Amerka.
forner – A person from outside of Amerka.
hass – 1. A dwelling, usually not connected to other dwellings. 2. (Cap) Part of Congress.
Hi Hon – The general greeting in Merlin.
ignernt – Unaware of something.
meer – A flat reflective surface.
more – A machine used for cutting grass.
Orals – The major league baseball team in Balmer.
plooshin – Substances or materials that harm the environment.
pare – 1. In physics, the amount of work done per unit time. 2. The right or ability, especially of a government, to impose its will. 3. Electricity flowing through wires.
pohleese – Law enforcement officers.
sarn – A noise-making device on a vehicles used by pohleese and farmin.
Sem Elem – A convenience store.
share – 1. A bathroom fixture that sprays water on a standing person. 2. To use such as fixture to clean oneself. 3. A gift-giving party, in preparation for a wedding or in celebration of a birth.
tar – 1. The rubber part of a vehicular wheel. 2. To become worn out.
warsh – To remove dirt or stains from clothes, dishes or oneself.
warter – The liquid form of dihydrogen monoxide, often used to warsh, share, or extinguish fars.
youz – The plural of “you”.
A Few Historical Figures:
Calf Leen Tanzin – Recent lieutenant governor of Merlin, related to the Kennedy family.
Purse Glen-Deng – Governor of Merlin during much of the nineties.
Eln Sare-Bury – Unsuccessful candidate for governor, who twice lost to Glen-Deng.
Boog Pal – Orals first basemen, MVP of the American League in 1970.
Egraln Poe – Famous poet who lived in Balmer.
Charles Curl of Curlton – The Calf Lick Merliner who signed the Declaration of Independence.
Sources:
Google gives about 250 hits for “merlin dialect”, I looked at this one, this one, this one and a few others. I may not be in complete agreement with these, but Merlin Dialect may vary from one canny to the next.








December 16th, 2008 at 8:17 pm
Hehe!! I have YET to meet or speak with anyone who doesn’t have some kind of language affect and dialect. A lot of people refuse to believe they have an accent, but they do!
In the first yr of blogging here I did a post about New England Accents:
http://andrightlyso.com/2005/05/31/new-england-accents/
December 16th, 2008 at 9:06 pm
I’ll have to check out those New England accents. I don’t know much New English other than “Pahk the cah in Hahvahd yahd.”
December 17th, 2008 at 9:35 am
Other than in Merlin, I have also lived in Noo Yawk and Vuhginyuh. My own accent would probably confound some people.
December 17th, 2008 at 10:42 pm
I spent the night in Philadelphia last night, and the waitress at the restaurant this morning at breakfast had a KILLAH New England accent. Of course, my wife has an East Texas accent. Oil is pronounced “ohl” were she’s from, not “oh-yeel”. That’s just one of the fun things I poke at her.