DICTIONARY OF THE COUNTRY Yan, tan, tether

(Archaic); 1-2-3; primitive Cumbric numbering system used for counting sheep. Variants exist across Yorkshire and Cumbria but the Swaledale version (1-20) goes yan, tan, tether, mether, pip, azer, sezar, akker, conter, dick, yanadick, tanadick, tetheradick, metheradick, bumfit, yanabum, tanabum, tetherabum, metherabum, jigget. Want to hear it spoken? Track down Jake Thackray’s song Old Molly Metcalfe; it’s beautiful.