Newfoundland's Distinctive Dialects
Ford, Combdon, Gillingham, Wicks - a look back through the census records of communities such as Jackson's Arm near the mouth of the Main reveals recurring family names that are typical of Newfoundland's predominantly British ancestry. Despite its early history as an international fishing hub, Newfoundland is now the most culturally homogenous province in Canada, where 98% of the population speaks English as their sole mother tongue.

Visitors will soon note, however, that Newfoundland English is often a language rich in local idiom, with a lively, colourful vocabulary. Pithy proverbs and earthy expressions, delivered with a twinkle of the eye, reflect the high-spirited flavour of the island culture. Though professional linguists may dryly refer to Newfoundland language variations as "non-standard, "come-from-away" listeners are likely to find them downright intriguing.

English Well Established: The province's distinctive regional dialects are a result of early 17th and 18th century settlement patterns. While sailors from around the world visited the island's coastlines for centuries, it was the English, and to a lesser extent, the Gaelic-speaking Irish, who decided to make Newfoundland their year-round home. (A small population of French-speaking Acadians from Cape Breton and the Magdalen Islands settled in the Port-au-Port peninsula and St. George's Bay.

A Culture Secluded: Most British immigrants came from southwestern England and southeastern Ireland. Once settled in the province's remote and isolated fishing villages, logging communities, islands and outports, they saw little more of the outside world. The language, customs and folklore of their homeland were preserved, and enriched by the rugged, ocean-going environment of their new home. By the time Newfoundland joined Canada as a province in 1949, many of the island's communities had experienced about 300 years of local development with little influence from Standard English.

Figgy Duff, Bangbelly and Bakeapple Jam: Traditional Foods of Newfoundland
A tea-room tour of Canada's most easterly province will quickly demonstrate that when Newfoundland language meets traditional Newfoundland food, recipe names are almost as tasty as the dishes they describe. From the days of self-sufficiency, when fish, wild game, wild berries and preserved ingredients put meals of salt cod chowder, fried cods' tongues, moose stew and stuffed caribou on the table, many typical Newfoundland recipes evolved:

• Figgy Duff, a steamed pudding made from flour, molasses, raisins and spices

• Damper Dogs, flattened pieces of white bread dough cooked directly on the top of a wooden stove

• Jiggs Dinner, a boiled meal of salt beef, potatoes and root vegetables

• Bangbelly, a baked mixture of salt pork, rice, molasses, raisins and spices

• Bakeapple jam, partridge berry pudding and marshberry buns, all made from the wild fruits of Newfoundland's bogs and riverbanks.