Background

The project to create a Dictionary of Cape Breton English began five years ago under the direction of Bill Davey and Richard MacKinnon at the University College of Cape Breton. Since then, students have assisted in the collection stage of the dictionary by searching for two kinds of words: those that have originated on Cape Breton Island, such as tarabish and suet, and those words that are distinctive of the Atlantic region, such as tuchamore and kitchen racket. Using archival sources, audio tapes, interviews, and printed sources, the students have made citations of these words, giving the distinctive word, the quotation in which it is used, and the source of the quotation. This research has covered topics such as local occupations, entertainment, celebrations, weather conditions, types of ice, beliefs, and other topics related to the life and traditions of the people on Cape Breton Island. The Beaton Institute, University College of Cape Breton, has been an invaluable resource for the project.