The discovery of the New World has further familiarised us all with chocolate and tomato, which are Mexican; and with potato, which is probably old Caribbean.

These facts have to be borne in mind when it is too rashly laid down that words in English dialects are of English origin.
Foreign words of this kind are, however, not very numerous, and can easily be allowed for.

And, as has been said, our vocabulary admits also of a certain amount of Celtic.

It remains to consider what other sources have helped to form our dialects.

The two most prolific in this respect are Scandinavian and French, which require careful consideration.
It is notorious that the Northern dialect admits Scandinavian words freely; and the same is true, to a lesser degree, of East Midland.
They are rare in Southern, and in the Southern part of West Midland.
The constant invasions of the Danes, and the subjection of England under the rule of three Danish kings, Canute and his two successors, have very materially increased our vocabulary; and it is remarkable that they have perhaps done more for our dialects than for the standard language.