Yam yam is a disparaging term that people from Birmingham commonly use to describe people from the Black Country. Verdict: Brummie. Unlike many of the other words on the list, people from the Black Country have never claimed ownership of this one.
Is a Yam Yam a Brummie?
Dialect and accent
People living in Birmingham often refer to Black Country folk as Yam Yams because they say ‘yow am’ or ‘yow’m’ instead of ‘you are’, whereas the term ‘Brummie’, used to refer to people from Birmingham, is derived from ‘Brummagem’ – traditional Black Country speak for Birmingham.
Where do Yam yams come from?
Yams originated in Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean. Africans call yams “nyami,” which is where we get the word “yam.” They are cylindrical and vary in size. Some of the largest yams have weighed more than 100 pounds and have been several feet long.
Why are people from Wolverhampton called Yam Yam?
Natives of Birmingham (Brummies) meanwhile often refer to their Black Country neighbours as “Yam Yams”, a reference to the use of “yow am” instead of “you are”.
Where do Yam yams live?
Yams are closely related to lilies and grasses. Native to Africa and Asia, yams vary in size from that of a small potato to a record 130 pounds (as of 1999). There are over 600 varieties of yams and 95% of these crops are grown in Africa.
What is the Birmingham accent called?
Brummie
Different parts of the UK have their own dialects and their own different ways of using the English language. ‘Brummie‘ is the term for Birmingham’s own dialect, as well as a name for people who come from the city of Birmingham.
Why are people from Birmingham called Brummies?
The term Brummie derives from Brummagem or Bromwichham, which are historical variants of the name Birmingham.
Is yam yam A Wolverhampton?
The distinctive dialect of the “Yam Yams” spoken in towns like Wolverhampton, Sandwell, Tipton and Dudley – though often only at home or between friends and neighbours – has preserved grammar from Middle English and its own vocabulary such as beesum (a pert young woman), blithyed (a fool), bonk (a small hill), broo’us
Are people from Walsall yam yams?
Yam yam is a disparaging term that people from Birmingham commonly use to describe people from the Black Country.
What are yams called in UK?
The American yam is not commonly found in the UK, yet the term is often used in the US to refer to what the British call a sweet potato; the Brits eat theirs roasted (as they do most things) and have not yet warmed to the American dish of “marshmallow yams.”
What is Yam Yam accent?
People that live in the Black Country are very proud of the way they speak. They have their own dialect and vocabulary as opposed to just being a different accent. One of the most famous features is the. ‘yam yam’ sound when saying certain phrases. ‘You are’ is pronounced yo’am and ‘are you’ is pronounced ‘am ya’.
Is the Black Country part of Birmingham?
The four metropolitan boroughs of the Black Country form part of the Birmingham metropolitan economy, the second largest in the UK.
Why is Birmingham the Black Country?
The Black Country gained its name in the mid nineteenth century due to the smoke from the many thousands of ironworking foundries and forges plus also the working of the shallow and 30ft thick coal seams.
What country is known for yams?
The biggest producer of yams is Nigeria (more than 44 million tons), followed by Ghana, Ivory Coast, Benin and Togo. Cameroon, Chad, Central African Republic, Haiti and Colombia complete the top 10. Most yams producing countries are in Africa.
Are yams from Nigeria?
Yam is grown widely in Nigeria. The area where it is grown the most is the Gboko town in Benue state. Yam can be served with a variety of soups like Egusi, Ogbono, Vegetable and Okro. In many parts of the country, it is said that “yam is food and food is yam”.
Where is yam mostly found?
Nigeria is by far the world’s largest producer of yams, accounting for over 70–76 percent of the world production. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization report, in 1985, Nigeria produced 18.3 million tonnes of yam from 1.5 million hectares, representing 73.8 percent of total yam production in Africa.
How do you say hello in Brummie?
Brummies tend to use the word ‘alright‘ as a greeting rather than the usual ‘hello’. If we do say ‘hello’ then we end to drop the ‘h’ thus saying ‘ello’ instead.
Do Birmingham people say Mom or Mum?
Like Birmingham, ‘Mom’ is what is generally used in the US, with ‘Mum’ more popular in most of England. But it’s popularity in the West Midlands shows it may be a regional pronunciation, maybe influenced by the Brummie accent.
Why do they say mom in Birmingham?
Mom and Mommy are old-English words, words that are stilled used in Birmingham and most parts of the West Midlands, we all use the term Mom and Mommy never Mum or Mummy, as here the correct spelling is Mom and Mommy has been for hundreds and hundreds of years, when people from the West Midlands went to America all
What is the ethnic mix in Birmingham?
Ethnicity in Birmingham
Asian and Asian British people make up the next largest group, with 26.6% of the population. They are followed by Black or Black British (9.0%), mixed (4.4%), and Other, including Arab (2.0%). Almost one in four people (238,313) living in Birmingham were born outside of the United Kingdom.
Where does Birmingham accent come from?
Linguistically, the dialects associated with Birmingham and the Black Country link back to the Middle English West Midlands dialect, which covered a much wider geographical area. Two of England’s major cities and their outlying areas, namely Birmingham and Coventry, were once part of the county of Warwickshire.