Makems

[LeedsRhinos]

Why are people from Sunderland called makems?

[Quizmonster]

It appears to be a local pronunciation of " make them"...ie "mak' 'em". The following was taken from a web-site about the north-east.

"The Mackems are those from Sunderland and Wearside. The accent may sound similar to people from outside the region but even though Newcastle and Sunderland are only 13 miles apart the people from these cities can certainly tell the difference.The Mackem accent derives from the shipbuilding industry on Wearside. When they built the ships they would say �we mackem and they tackem�.

[klinedancer]

All true, I'm from Sunderland but not everyone talks like that now, the dialect as it was seems to be dying out, but still sounds strong to other people

[Dusky]

If it's of any relevance or help, I was told by an ex-girlfriend's father, from that part of the world, that if you were born north of the Tyne and south of the border, you were a Geordie and if you were born south of the Tyne and north of Middlesbrough you were a Mackem (though I thought it was Maccam).  Mind you, I was also told that if you were born south of Middlesbrough you were a cockney...I was known as a cockney.