Rustic Speech and Folk-Lore

"Rustic Speech and Folk-Lore" by Elizabeth Mary Wright is a deep dive into the world of dialects and folklore from over a century ago. The book opens up a collection of various English dialects, focusing on their special words, how they sound, and the interesting cultural ways that go with them. The writer tries to show the depth and beauty of these local ways of speaking, which are often not understood or appreciated by people who are more educated, mixing stories of rustic speech with old beliefs and habits. Wright explains that she received feedback from an article she wrote that inspired her to develop the text. She also points out that she isn't trying to cover one dialect completely, but wants to give a wide look at the different ways people speak English. This is all to highlight that dialect speakers follow their own grammar rules and ways of saying things, showing just how complex and full of expression their language can be.