Growing up I can remember my granddad referring to his native soil of Teesdale as “Up-by”.
I never really thought about it much in the past, but I’ve been wondering what it actually means or if it is just something he thought up. I can’t find anything online.
Is it short for something? Like “Up by [the Tees]” or “Up by [my neck of the woods]”
Is “by” an old word for fell or valley?
Does it just mean “over there” and he was only ever referring to “over theres” in Teesdale?
Any ideas?
2 comments
If someone said they live up by the river I’d assume they lived close to the river.
I’ve never heard anyone say it, was it just a thing he said? Like my nan would refer to going yonder. But yonder was a specific place, the family knew what she meant but nobody else would have.