Consonants W

There is written evidence for /w/-deletion in unstressed initial and medial position in Bm <ull> will, <’ud> would, <(big) ‘uns> (big) ones, <back’ards> backwards, <forrards> forwards (compare data from the OED: colloquial can’t get any forrader; maritime usage forr’ard), <arse-uppards> arse-upwards ‘topsy-turvy’, <causey> causeway (as in other dialects, e.g. North-Eastern place-name Causey Arch); also BC <ud/ood> would, <udn’t> wouldn’t, <oot> wouldst (thou).

There is also written and anecdotal evidence of cases of failure to round historical /a/ following /w/; sometimes this appears to be accompanied by fronting. Thus, Chitham (1972: 171–172) claims that in BC wasp rhymes with clasp (presumably as [wasp]); for wash, Mathisen (1999: 108) has Sandwell [wæʃ​], for which note also BC <wesh> ([wεʃ]). There is also Bm/BC <wairter> / <waerter> water, where presumably raising of historical /a:/ to something like [eə ~ e:]  occurred. In the cases of fronting, OE (Mercian) second fronting may have been involved (note the derivations of wash and water in OE wæscan and wæter respectively).