Dialect and Language
Yorkshire is world famous for its dialect and it is often, perhaps unfairly, caricatured.  From 'on Ilkla Moor baht 'at?!' to 'put 't wood in 't 'oil!' there are many well known Yorkshire phrases. 

While it may be thought that broad Yorkshire or 'Tyke' is common to the whole county, there are actually three distinct dialects that can be defined by the three old Ridings. The North, East and West Ridings originate from the 9th century when the invading Vikings divided what is now known as Yorkshire into three parts.  The dialects are not completely distinct, as they tend to merge into one another, but there are discernible differences.  It is thought that the North and East Yorkshire dialects, representing the language of farmers and small rural communities, are much softer than the harsh West Yorkshire dialect. The harsh sounds of West Yorkshire are linked to the hardships endured by 19th century millworkers.

Scandinavian influences leftover from the Viking invasion can still be seen in the Yorkshire dialect. For example, a 'fist' is known as a 'nieve' in the Yorkshire dialect, while the modern Norwegian is 'neve'. A 'child' in modern Norwegian is 'barn', while in Yorkshire it is a 'bairn'. Many influences can also be seen in place names, for example, 'Thwaite' comes from the old Norse for 'a clearing' and 'Smearsett' comes from the old Norse for 'the butter pasture'.