The word nowt is a Northern English dialect term meaning nothing, none and no one.
This local dialect word is in common usage among the people of Northern England, predominantly Yorkshire, Lancashire and Greater Manchester. Nowt often features in the dialogue of the TV soap, Coronation Street.
At the recent terror attack vigil in Albert Square Manchester the poet Tony Walsh (Longfella) gave an emotional performance of his poem, ‘This is the Place’, to a large crowd. The word nowt appears in the fifth line.
“This is the place
In the north-west of England. It’s ace, it’s the best
And the songs that we sing from the stands, from our bands
Set the whole planet shaking.
Our inventions are legends. There’s nowt we can’t make, and so we make brilliant music…”
nowt
nothing
Nothing, none and no one:nothing, none, no one…
So is it okay to use it regularly in any part of England? A new word to learn… Isn’t English already too rich in expressions, idioms, and slang? Anyhow, who am I to complain? Any language is hard to learn.