Has anyone else noticed a form of prepositional snobbery in Sheffield?
When describing where people live Sheffielders say "Someone comes OFF
Wyburn or Manor or Arbourthorne.Yet they will always say "Someone comes FROM Millhouses,Dore,Fulwood etc"
Anyone know why?
I think it's because the manor is an estate, whereas Dore is a village.
Looking at it the otherway, you live ON an estate but IN a village. Saying someone lives in an estate or on a village doesn't sound right.
So if you live ON an estate, you must come OFF an estate. If you live IN a village, you come FROM a village.
Maybe that makes sense? Dunno.
Andy, who comes from Roveram.
Sounds a logical answer Andy but would I come OFF Chatsworth -which is also an estate.
Yes perhaps I would.
Just to complicate things further I have heard older folk saying that someone comes OFF a certain Street - eg Meadow St or Pomona St.
But not OFF Dore Road !!
We also say someone lives ON Humberside, or ON Merseyside, but IN Yorkshire or IN Devon.
We might say someone lived AT Dore, but I doubt we'd say someone lives AT Rotherham.
Maybe it's just one of those strange things about our language?
PaulTansley
18-06-2003, 21:01
That would probably be because Mersyside and Humber are rivers so the towns are built ON the river, as on Merseyside.
Rotherham I supose is also buit round the Rother but they are only small outlets from the major rivers, so you would'nt say On Rotherham.
Personally I'd say... 'he's FROM the manor', not OFF the manor. Off in that context just doesn't sound right to me.
you live on somewhere, when you are there, but come off it when you are away. The previous poster is right though when he says estates and villages are a different proposition.
Whats happened to the shop NAME on Division Street :help: