Document 1716

Scots Tung Wittins 65

Author(s): Robert Fairnie

Copyright holder(s): Name withheld

Nummer 65
Aprile 1999

Keepin a guid Scots tung in yer heid's nae guid! Lat it oot an uise it!

Scots Tung WITTINS

Eydentlie uphaudin the Scots Leid Campaine
E-mail: [CENSORED: emailaddress] Ph. [CENSORED: phonenumber]

Reporters Tae The Scottish Pairliament.
SCOTTISH Office parliamentary recorders, that'll be daein the same kinna job in Holyrood as Hansard daes in Wastmeinster, haes been in contack wi the Scottish National Dictionary Association tae speir wyce anent Scots spellin an gremmar. Follaein on frae that, Iseabail McLeod (SNDA) an Prof. Graham Caie (SLRC an Univairsitie o Glesca) haed a hail efternuin at the Scottish Office crackin wi thae reporters an thay fund thaim tae be unco couthie an walcomin. The reporters sayed that they would record the language(s) they heard in parliament as faithfully as possible and that they would transcribe Scots (and Scottish vocabulary in SSE) whenever it was spoken without 'normalising' it. The'r nae need for a saiprit English owersettin, like wi Gaelic, but onie word that's no aa that weel kent wad hae a wee exposeetion at the side. Wi baith the Scottish pairliament an the schuils uisin a dictionar foondit Scots spellin, we micht weel en up wi fowk (the media for exemplar) that accep the spellins o a Scottish government as the richt wey tae gaun an, whan thay'r eikit tae wi a new generation o schuil-bairns, leeterate in thair mither tung an uisin the same spellins, wad a standart orthographie be aa that faur ahint?

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Scots Tung WITTINS
on the wab.
The Scots Tung Wittins can be vizzied or doun-loadit an prentit (nou in HTML format forbye) frae the wab-steid o :-
The Scots Speikers Curn, Glesca.
Wab-steid backin:-
http://www.ndirect.co.uk/~love/

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Mak Yer Merk In Mey.
EFTER the Scottish Office stertit tae pit oot thon Have your Say In May leaflet wi nae mint o Scots at the fuit o't alangside o aa the ither leids ye cuid hae it in, a wheen o upsteerers screivit in speirin for a copie in Scots. Dr. Dauvit Horsbroch owerset the leaflet intae Scots cried Mak Yer Merk In Mey an the SO stertit giein it oot tae oniebodie that speirt ane. Aboot twa days efter, the SO speirt tae mak three chynges tae the leaflet an Dauvit greed tae an duin thaim for thay war nae skin aff oor nebs an we war aa weel pleesured wi the wey things wis gaun. It wisna or we'd speirt the SO tae pit oot a press release tellin fowk that Scots copies wis tae haund an speirin gin Scots wad be mintit at the fuit o aa new leaflets alangside o aa the ither leids, that the SO sleekitness wis onhappit for aa tae see. Whit ither wey cuid oniebodie tak thair follaein repone?

"Thank you for your recent e-mail.
It is felt that it would not be appropriate to issue a press release about the Scots translation as this has not been produced by the Scottish Office. While we have agreed in this instance to make Dr Horsbroch's leaflet available, it is not the policy intention of The Scottish Office to produce leaflets in Scots – as we are not aware of any Scots speakers for whom English is not the first language.
I hope this information is helpful."

Maister Dempsey, the SO officiar ahint the abuin threap cuidna pit forrit onie nummers or survey or ocht tae gie wecht tae whit he sayed for, as we aa ken, thare isna onie but monie upsteerers wis able tae pynt oot hou the GRO(S) Report on the Scots Language (1996) cuid pruve the opposeet. It wis pyntit oot an aa that whit he wis daein wis contrair tae a nummer o condeetions laid doun in Pairt II o the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. The upcome o aa this wis that Maister Dempsey tint the airgument, gied up the fecht an passed the baa tae the heid o Donald Dewar, the Scottish Secretar. He's the ane that haes tae dree oor slidin tackles nou an, at the time o screivin, we hinna heard ocht frae him yet anent this parteeclar kinch.

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Wae's Me Puir Doric
THAT'S whit Robbie Shepherd cries his "Column One" in the P&J on 1st.Mairch. Coorse he daesna spell it thon wey but in English sae he can tak a len o thon Wullie Shakespeare. "Alas Poor Doric!" O wad some Pouer the giftie gie us tae hae sic-like columns in the Scotsman an Herald an aa! That's us takin a len o Rabbie Burns nou. Sae whit? Robbie's column is a richt wycelik screid duin in the kenspeckle souch o the nor-aist byleid o Scots, better kent as the Doric. He gies some auld farrant words he fund a richt guid haizerin an whit for no? Ane he spaeks o is harlin an he pynts oot that tae harl is tae dab on butter here an thare ower a bannock or piece. He haes a thocht that harlin the waas o a hoose comes frae the same foond an wunners whit ane cam first. We wad propone that it maun hae been the first ane, for harlin a hoose is shuirlie a sair darg athoot a guid piece tae keep ye gaun. Anither o the monie words he peens on tae is hespit, a word he says means weary wi care an overburdened (come at). The phrase, sair trauchelt lowps intae oor heids but ilka ane tae his ain an oniewey, we aa wiss Robbie a sicht mair pouer tae his elbae.

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Dictionar o the Aulder Scottish Tung.
WITTINS wis gien in the Scotland on Sunday that the abuin dictionar, stertit 60 year syne, is expeckit nou tae be feinished bi Hogmanay 2000, a guid 15 year aheid o time. Whit's makin aathin gaun alang at a better lick is the giein oot o the computer in-pittin tae a Filipino firm. Appearinlie, thae Filipinos is a sicht cheaper an, bi wey o thaim no kennin the leid, thay hiv tae tak ilka letter at a time an sae mak less mistaks nor fowk that kens, or thinks thay ken, Scots. The DOST wis stertit bi Sir William Craigie, that kythed the first Oxford English Dictionar (1931) an aa, an it kivvers the oncome o the Scots leid frae aboot the en o the first millenium up til the Act o Union in 1707. Wi ower a muckle 6,800 pages, the'r nae wey it's gaun tae come oot as an edeetion for the pootch an, gin ye hae tae speir the price, nae doot yer pootches winna be muckle eneuch. For aa that tho, whan it's feinished, the'r nae doot it will be anither muckle key-stane eikit tae the foonds o the mither tung.

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Channel Fower's "Haud Yer Tongue."
THE innin tae the abuin new Scots language program for the schuils (10 tae 14 year aulds) wis hauden on Monday 22t. Mairch at Strathclyde Univairsitie's Collins Gallery. The forgaitherin wis unco weel plenisht wi fowk that cam alang an kent the guid o a weel praisentit an wyce like program. Billy Kay, Liz Niven an C4 Schuils haes eikit anither guid piece o Scots language learnin graith tae help fill a muckle want. Lat's howp it's juist the first o monie mair. We leuk forrit tae the first braidcast on 20t. Aprile. See Scots Tung Wittins nummer 62 (Januar 1999) for the dates o aa the ither shawins.

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New Digital TV Station for Scotland.
THE Independent Television Commission haes lat it be kent that Scotland is tae hae its ain appyntit digital TV channel tae be cried S2. The new channel, tae be awned bi the Scottish Media Group (STV, Grampian, Herald, Sunday Herald an that), is expeckit tae pit forrit a stertin date in the gey near oncome. Donald Emslie, heich-heid-ane for braidcastin wi the SMG, haes sayed that S2 will hae "distinctive Scottish programmin" for young growed-up fowk. We aa howp it haes nae want o "distinctive Scots language" an aa for a chynge but will thay hae the smeddum?

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Neist Forgaitherin. Mon. 26t. Aprile 1999 7.30pm tae 9.00pm Smaa Lounge or Conf. Rm. 1. Brunton Haa, Musselburgh.

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(UHI) Univairsitie o the Hielands an the Isles.
A compare o the Scots an Shetlandic leids uisin the UHI Policy Statement on Linguistic an Cultural Identity owerset intae baith leids bi John M Tait o Banff that got a wee bit heize wi the Scots bit frae John Law o Perth. Forbye oor intrest in the compare o thae twa leids, maimbers shuid be weel pleesured tae read the abuin Policy Statement an its ettles tae forder the ongauns o aa the hamelt Scottish leids. We'r behauden tae Maister Tait for the uiss o thae owersettins.

A. Shaetlan.
UHI Policy Staetment on Strynds o Tongue an Wint.

1. Da UHI will be hadden wi hits constitution ta caa forrit da upbiggin, nationally an ithin fremd erts as weel as ithin dir ain bonhoaga, o da haemower tongues an wints at's tae da fore i da Isles an da Hielands;

2. Da UHI will seek ta kyucker an gie stimma tae da haemower strynds o tongue an wint o da sindry pairts an neebrids; an, trowe creative mellin o laire, language, wint an community, ta lay da steid for a identity at's pitten furt an kent aawye for da mett o guid ducker an glig ontak;

3. Da UHI will lay up an had at a policy for biggin up tongue an wint, hentin an caain tagidder coamon proil ta wirk trowe da hael institution, an haemower proil forbye, tocht up an kerried trowe wi single pairtner institutions or gadderies o dem;

4. Da UHI will cring tagidder ithin new wyes wi boadies at haes ta dui wi troak as weel as wi laire ta set on mair o a poase for hunksin an biggin up wint an hain

5. Da UHI will hunkse up, trowe pairtner framewarks, ony fock or gadderies at's makkin da wints, laire, hain an social life o da neebrids richer wi dir strug an trowepit, oesin Shaetlan, Orcadian, Scots an Gaelic tongues;

6. Da UHI will seek ta mell swack an leidful academic wark enlichtened wi gaddered haemower wit tagidder wi community trowepit enwittened wi appropriate hunsin ta yaspen baith da academic netwarks an da creatievity o da neebrids i da Isles an Hielands;

Word Leet:-
Strynd = charactereistic. Kyucker = revive
Bonhoaga = birthplace Stimna = strenth
Mett = merk Ducker = lestin quality
had at = persist wi Proil = booty, graith
Hent = fess, cairie, gaither Hunkse = heize
Gadderie = gaitherin Poase = store o walth
Cring = binnd thegither Leidful = eydent
Troak = commerce Strug = effort
Trowepit = industry, enterprise
Wit = raison, wisdom Yaspen = energetic.

B. Scots.
UHI Policy Statement on Linguistic an Cultural Identity.

1. The UHI will be hauden bi its constitution ti hain the life an growthe o the present hameart leids an cultures o the Hielands an Islands, in local, naitional an fremmit airts;

2. The UHI will ettle ti gie fushion ti the cultural aefauldness o the sindrie leid-communities an, bi yokin thegither the ingyne o laer, leid, culture an fowk, ti win a nem at's pitten aboot an kent aawey for guid gear an innovation;

3. The UHI will formulate an cairie oot a policy for the upbiggin o leid an culture, inhaudin an cawin thegither common proveision ti work throu the hail staiblishment, an hameart proveisions forbye, cleckit an wrocht bi single pairtner institutions or curns o thaim;

4. The UHI will caw thegither in new weys wi neibors frae business an academia ti win mair graith ti haunder the weel-workin o culture an economy;

5. Throu pairtnership framewarks, the UHI will uphaud fowk an quorums at thair feckfu ongauns tochers the culture, neiborheid, weel-daein an scholarlie life o the airts uisin Shetlandic, Orcadian, Scots an Gaelic leids;

6. The UHI will ettle ti yoke tentie scholarship enlichtent bi gaithert hameart ingyne wi community ontakkins enwittent bi appropriate research ti gie virr baith ti academic netwarks an the createivity o the fowk i the Hielands an Islands.

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Countra Clatter.
Bi William G. Johnston frae Udny.
WEEL, weel, ers nae doot aboot it, ower es last wik ar so the wither haes been a wee thochtie on the wintery side! Tae hear some fowk spik tho, ye wad think it wis the en o the warld wi aa the terrible problems at a wee drappie o snaw haes caased them. Ah weel, it's naethin like the problems at peer craiturs in Austria n Switzerland his haed tae pit up wi, loosin their hooses, ay n some their lives as weel. Ay, A dinna think we've haed very much tae complain aboot, hiv wi?

Noo than, hiv ye aa read yon bonnie coloured leaflet at drappit through yer letter-boxie the ither day, ye ken the een A mean, it's enteetled, "Have Your Say In May"? Fin we ging an vote on the 6th o Mey wir aa gyaun tae get three votes, twa for the Scottish Parliament n een for the local cooncil. Wir gyaun tae get three different coloured bitties o paper tae pit wir votes ontil n efter wi'v pit doun wir crosses wi hiv tae pit wir three bitties o paper intae three different boxes. It soonds like fillin up the fitbaa coupon except the odds are probably a lot waur – it's certainly gyaun tae cost us aa a gey lot mair money bit wi nae very monie benefits comin back till's! Houiver, ye ken, A think A'v juist hid a noshun that wad save aa this expinse, n it's this – Seein as es new Parliament is gyaun tae be in Edinburgh, A suggeest at wi tak twa three monkeys oot o Edinburgh Zoo, they wad dae juist as guid a job as onie MP or Councilor n certainly wadna cost s'much, ay, thay wad probably be happy juist wi een ar twa bananas iverie day! (Oor Border freends howps thay'r no Chiquitas)

Nou A dinna sippose aat fin wi div get es new Parliament aat they will be willin nor indeed hae the capaucity tae get rid o some o the mair glaikit noshuns aat hiv been put oot as rules n regulations ower recent eers. Een o the maist glaikit eens is een aat wir fairmers are strugglin wi juist nou far they hiv tae clip the bellies o their cattle afore they can be sent tae be killed. Nae doot some equally glaikit billie frae the Meat Hygiene Service thocht aat wad be a guid idea n wad cut doun the possibility aat wi micht aa be pooshioned. Of coorse he niver thocht aboot foo ull a jobbie it wad be tae actually dae, this haes mint aat nearly 200 fairmers hiv already been kickit n some badly injured as they've tried tae clip their beasts. Fit wey can the craiturs nae be clippit efter they're deid, aat wad seerly be the maist seensible wey tae dae the job?

Wi maybe hiv haed a drappie snaw es month bit ye ken, for aa that, Spring is definitely in the air. There's been a twa three mornins recently fin A hiv gin oot the back door n there singin awa merrily abeen m heid, a bonnie wee larkie. Then juist the ither nicht here, it maun hae been aboot fower in the mornin, A wis lyin there snug in m bed winnerin fit haed waukened m, then A heard them, a pair o Skirlin Wullies! Ay Spring is definitely roon the corner fin they cam back!

~~~ooo~~~
Makars' Neuk
Tae be yersel an tae mak that worth bein
Nae harder job tae mortals haes been gien.

Hugh MacDiarmid.

Information about Document 1716

Scots Tung Wittins 65