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Then he proceeded to give us the words in Shelta, or Minklers Thari.
They were as follows:--
Shelkin gallopas Selling ferns.
Soobli, Soobri Brother, friend--a man.
Bewr Woman.
Gothlin or goch'thlin Child.
Young bewr Girl.
Durra, or derra Bread.
Pani Water (Romany).
Stiff A warrant (common cant).
Yack A watch (cant, _i.e._ bull's eye, _Yack_, an eye in Romany).
Mush-faker Umbrella mender.
Mithani (mithni) Policeman.
Ghesterman (ghesti) Magistrate.
Needi-mizzler A tramp.
Dinnessy Cat.
Stall Go, travel.
Biyeghin Stealing.
Biyeg To steal.
Biyeg th'eenik To steal the thing.
Crack A stick.
Monkery Country.
Prat Stop, stay, lodge.
Ned askan Lodging.
Glantherin (glad'herin) Money, swindling.
This word has a very peculiar p.r.o.nunciation.
Sauni or sonni See.
Strepuck (reepuck) A harlot.
Strepuck lusk, Luthrum's gothlin Son of a harlot.
Kurrb yer pee Punch your head or face.
Pee Face.
Borers and jumpers Tinkers' tools.
Borers Gimlets.
Jumpers Cranks.
Ogles Eyes (common slang).
Nyock Head.
Nyock A penny.
Odd Two.
Midgic A s.h.i.+lling.
Nyo(d)ghee A pound.
Sai, sy Sixpence.
Charrshom, Cherrshom, Tusheroon A crown.
Tre-nyock Threepence.
Tripo-rauniel A pot of beer.
Thari, Bug Talk.
Can you thari Shelter? Can you bug Shelta? Can you talk tinkers'
language?
Shelter, shelta Tinker's slang.
Larkin Girl.
Curious as perhaps indicating an affinity between the Hindustani _larki_, a girl, and the gypsy _rakli_.
Snips Scissors (slang).
Dingle fakir A bell-hanger.
Dunnovans Potatoes.
Fay (_vulgarly_ fee) Meat.
Our informant declared that there are vulgar forms of certain words.
Gladdher Ring the changes (cheat in change).
"No minkler would have a bewr who couldn't gladdher."
Reesbin Prison.
Tre-moon Three months, a 'drag.'
Rauniel, Runniel Beer.
Max Spirits (slang).
Chiv Knife. (Romany, a pointed knife, _i.e. tongue_.) Thari To speak or tell.
"I tharied the soobri I sonnied him." (I told the man I saw him.)
Mushgraw.
Our informant did not know whether this word, of Romany origin, meant, in Shelta, policeman or magistrate.
Scri, scree To write.
Our informant suggested _scribe_ as the origin of this word.
Reader A writ.
"You're readered soobri." (You are put in the "Police Gazette," friend.)
Our informant could give only a single specimen of the Shelta literature.
It was as follows:--
"My name is Barney Mucafee, With my borers and jumpers down to my thee (thigh).
An' it's forty miles I've come to kerrb yer pee."
This vocabulary is, as he declared, an extremely imperfect specimen of the language. He did not claim to speak it well. In its purity it is not mingled with Romany or thieves' slang. Perhaps some student of English dialects may yet succeed in recovering it all. The p.r.o.nunciation of many of the words is singular, and very different from English or Romany.
Just as the last word was written down, there came up a woman, a female tramp of the most hardened kind. It seldom happens that gentlemen sit down in familiar friendly converse with vagabonds. When they do they are almost always religious people, anxious to talk with the poor for the good of their souls. The talk generally ends with a charitable gift.
Such was the view (as the vagabond afterwards told us) which she took of our party. I also infer that she thought we must be very verdant and an easy prey. Almost without preliminary greeting she told us that she was in great straits,--suffering terribly,--and appealed to the man for confirmation, adding that if we would kindly lend her a sovereign it should be faithfully repaid in the morning.
The professor burst out laughing. But the fern-collector gazed at her in wrath and amazement.
