Document 1693

Scots Tung Wittins 42

Author(s): Robert Fairnie

Copyright holder(s): Name withheld

Nummer 42
October 1997

Scots Tung WITTINS

Eydentlie uphaudin the Scots Leid Campaine

1997 Yule Cairds.
Efter some cannie fleetchin bi Rita, it luiks as tho Helen Black is set tae mak a stert tae a picter for oor new Yule caird. She's greed tae dae a coloured picter o the Auld Royal High Scuil (New Pairliament Hoose) wi a Scottish Saltire an a Yule starn inclusit.

Mind ye, bi the soon o some o the wittins comin fae the Labour Pairty cullogue, the new pairliament micht weel be gaun doon tae Leith amang aw the lang tail fellies. For aw that tho, we'r o the consait that, nae maitter whaur the pairliament ens up gettin biggit, the New Pairliament Hoose on the Calton Hill his eneuch historical pedigree an troke wi echteen year o Scottish fend agin the want o oor ain pairliament, tae still aye be a guid chyce for the foreside o oor Yule caird.

The fowk that sellt uz the envelopes for oor cairds fernyear, sent me a new brochure lest week speirin gin we wis ettlin efter onie for this year an bodin tae sell thaim this year for a guid troke o 2.35p the piece wi VAT inclusit. Thae's the same yins as we hid fernyear sae A gaed aheid an spoke up for twa thoosan an thai'r aw noo tae haun.

Wi Janet bein awa on her holidays the noo, aiblins she micht no ken yet that we'll be luikin for her tae come up wi anither o her smashin wee pomes for pittin inower the caird. Weel, gin she didna ken afore, she'll ken bi the time she reads this.

Rita his taen some o oor 1996 cairds, alang wi a coloured adverteesin flyer, tae yin o Helen Blaack's freens that his a sten in the Gress Mercat o Edinburgh. Lat's howp she gets shot o a guid wheen an maks a guid ootcome for hersel an for Scots Tung an aw.

Speikin Scots.
We hid a guid gaun crack anent the wey oor forebeirs spake Scots aroon the 15t, 16t an 17t hunner-years. It aw cam aboot wi readin an chawin ower twa documents anent some o the auld Scots acts o pairliament an that, that A liftit fae AUSLQ's wabsteid. Coorse, we didna ken whit wey thae wirds wis moothit bi oor forebeirs, but we fun some o the auld farrant spellins kinna kythin we thocht. A guid exemplar wis the auld spellin o sherriffs (schireffis) whilk makkit it plain as parritch that shire wis the heid-wird it breardit fae. The English dictionar gies the oreeginals as kythin fae the Auld English "scir, shire + gerefa, reeve". Sae aiblins the auld farrant Scots spellins micht weel be a guid bit mair honest nor we aw gied thaim mense for.

Scottish Office Giein Oot Confeesin Seegnals Anent 2001 Census.
On Friday 26t. o September, the Scotsman amang monie ithers o the heid Scottish papers reportit wittins anent haein a quaisten on Scots in the 2001 Census. Thai aw sayed that the wey things wis luikin, the furst Census unner a new Scottish Pairliament wis shuir tae hae a quaisten on the Scots leid inclusit.

A wumman speikin up for the Scottish Office wis quotit as threapin, "The matter was under discussion."

The Scotsman's scriever went on tae speik aboot aw the "new" wirds an phrases that oor new MSP's wad hae tae haun for flytin yin anither in the chaumer. Exemplars sic as, "Awa an bile yer heid!" an, "Ye glaikit gomerel!" wis pit forrit. Thae wittins kythed anither cuttie screed ablow it anent the historie o the Scots language an its prospecks for the days tae come.

Tho naethin tae dae wi the Census story, Jack McLean hid a column in the same edeetion o the Scotsman an a guid three pairts o it wis aw scrievit in Scots. He yaised the Scots (whit he cried "the vernacular") tae mak a pint whan he wis dooncriein the BBC's muckle faux pas agin the Irish in the ootlin suddron Eastenders.

Weel, eneuch o that an back tae the Census. A wee while efter that, A got a letter fae Sam Galbraith's office in repone tae yin A hid scrievit airlier. It wis gey near a carbon copie o the yin we aw got fae Michael Forsyth. It wis datit 26t. o Sept. an, apairt fae aw the puir excuises we got fae the Tories, it eikit that a deceesion wis taen tae no hae a quaisten on the Scots leid inclusit in the Juin 1997 Census Test. That wis jist days efter the elecktion an A've scrievit back agane tae speir gin it wis a Tory deceesion or a Labour yin an gin it kivvers the 2001 Census an awas weel as the Juin Census Test or jist the Test itsel wi aiblins, a final deceesion aye yet tae be taen anent the Census.

Dr. C I Macafee's offeecial letter tae the Scottish Office on behauf o oorsels an aw the ither Scots leid upsteerers, jist went in tae thaim on 22t. o September sae thir maun be somehin orra gaun on here an its aboot time we wis aw telt whit it wis. A think that noo wad be a guid time for awbodie tae scrieve agane tae Sam Galbraith tae get him telt an speir oot whit's gaun on.

Forgaitherin Feenishin Time Chynged.
Tak tent o the new feenishin times for oor forgaitherins as scrievit at the fuit o this page. Up tae noo, we've aye been buikin the chaumer at the Brunton Ha for twa oors fae 7.30pm tae 9.30pm an, at £3.00 an oor, it his aye costit uz £6.00 for ilka nicht. For a guid wee while noo, maist fowk his been gettin itchie feet whan the hauns o the knock stert cominup tae 9.00pm an awbodie sterts pintinthair feet tae the door, ready tae tak the gait fro hame. Weel, this year we thocht we wad gie a shot tae jist buikin the chaumer for the yin an a hauf oors atween 7.30pm an 9.00pm. This wey, we'll jist be peyin £4.50 ilka nicht an we cuin aye mak guid yiss o the siller that's hained ower the incomin weeks. Gin it disna wirk oot, we cuin aye chynge it back agane onie time at aw.

New Suit o Claes For The Scots Tung Wittins.
The thurd new bannerheid an souch for the Wittins syne thae new edeetions stertit micht gar fowk tae jalouse that ilka nummer in the days tae come is gaun tae be different an aw. Nae chance! The wey this his aw cam aboot is that A'v aye hid a guid consait o whit it shid be luikin lik but it's taen me a lot langer nor A thocht tae fin oot hoo ma new wird-sorter progam wirks. Weel, noo that A'v got it luikin the wey A want, A think A'll jist keep it the wey it is - onless it gies onie o oor maimbers the boaks.

Neist Forgaitherins:-
Mon. 13t an Mon. 27t October.
7.30pm tae 9.00pm in Comatee Rm C the Brunton Ha, Musselburgh.
Ph. [CENSORED: phonenumber] E-mail: [CENSORED: emailaddress]

Information about Document 1693

Scots Tung Wittins 42