Document 1742
Scots Tung Wittins 91
Author(s): Robert Fairnie
Copyright holder(s): Name withheld
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Nummer 91
Juin 2001
Keep a guid Scots tung in yer heid an in yer hert! But mind an uise it tae!
Scots Tung WITTINS
Eydentlie uphaudin the Scots Leid Campaine
e-screive: [CENSORED: emailaddress] Ph. [CENSORED: phonenumber] Stravaiger Ph. [CENSORED: phonenumber]
SLS Collogue 2001 For Auld Reekie
[NOTE: a photograph here in original]
THE Scots Language Society's Annual Collogue 2001 is set tae be hauden this year on Sunday 17t Juin (11am tae 4pm) in the Netherbow Theatre, High Street, Embro. Aiblins haufweys atween the Scots Pairlament an Holyrood Hoose is juist aboot richt for sic a collogue at a time whan fowk is stertin tae jalouse the weird o the language is aboot tae tak a turn for the guid. The'r nae doot this towmond past haes been a guid ane for the Scots language, if no aye for the final ootcome, it haes been guid for biggin the foonds a gleg an leevin-lik language needs for lowpin frae. Fowk juist haes tae mind the key things that haes kythed ower the bygane towmond tae ken that the campaine for the Scots language is gaun forrit an no backweys. Juist think on the likes o Irene McGugan MSP takin ower as the Preses o the Scots Language Society forbye takin a leadin haund, alang wi Cathy Peattie MSP, in the estaiblishment o the Cross Pairtie Group on Scots in the Scots Pairlament, the wark that's bein duin for the European Year o the Languages this year bi the SLRC an the Scottish CILT at Stirling Univairsity, the Forgotten Folk campaine ower the time o the census an the awaurness o Scots it gart in the media an estaiblishment, the British ratifeein o the European Chairter for Regional or Minority Languages that taks effeck on 1t Julie 2001. On tap o aw thon, the'r been a swall o intrest in the furthsettin o Scots buiks wi the kenspeckle "But an Ben A-Go-Go" bi Matthew Fitt an Colin Wilson's suin tae be furthset lairn yersel Scots buik alang wi ithers. No forgettin ither curns the likes o Scots Tung that's leadin the wey wi the furthsettin o Scots Christmas cairds ilka year (4.5 tae 5.5 thoosan) an the success o its Scots writin competeetion in the schuils o East Lothian while Mither Tongue an Doris in Doric is twa nor-aist companies that's pruivin the'r a commercial mercat for Scots greetin cairds o aw kin-kind. The West Lothian Broadly Scots Society haes furthset thair new West Lothian Scots Dictionar efter complouterin wi the bairns in the West Lothian primary schuils tae dae the illustrations. Ay, Scots is a lang gate frae bein deid an this bygane year haes gien the leid the souch o better days tae come. It faws noo on aw its upsteerers tae keep the pat bylin an tak the ure.
ANNUAL COLLOGUE 2001 PROGRAM
11.00am—11.30am:
Walcome bi Preses Irene McGugan MSP.
Talk: The Wark o the Cross Pairtie Group in the Scots Pairlament.
Quaistens.
11.30am—12.30pm:
Schuils an Adult Competeetion Winners;
Readins an prizes
12.30pm—1.30pm:
Maet, an meet the Lallans Comatee
(braw pieces, wee sassidge an veggie rolls, sindrie vol-au-vents, kail, tea & coffee.)
The Editor will introduce memmers o the Lallans Comatee able for tae attend, an speir at fowk for feedback on the magazine, help wi sales an that.
1.30pm—3.00pm:
Collogue: Scots in Schuils
Panel o teachers includin Willie Hershaw, John Hodgart, Liz Niven, Lovina Roe (an ithers) will gie a series o cuttie talks anent thair ain wark wi Scots (5-10 meenits ilkane) syne tak pairt in a panel-led collogue convened bi the Preses.
3.00pm—3.30pm:
Awthegither: 'The Boddam Line'
Hauf-oor discussion heidit bi the Preses: whit's the Associe's weishes for a richt public uphaud seestem for the Scots leid?
3.30pm—4.00pm:
Annual General Meetin o the Associe
Tak guid tent that the Netherbow is leemitit tae 75 fowk—sae dinna be blate an dinna be late. Ingang stent is £10 the heid. Bank-lines can be makit oot tae the Scots Language Society an sent on tae the Secretar, John Law, [CENSORED: postaladdress] or nae doot ye can phone him on [CENSORED: phonenumber] tae buik a place an then pey at the door. For aw that the collogue taks place on a Sunday, an efter aw the stour the Cross Pairtie Group haes been steerin up in the pairlament an in ither airts, an parteeclar syne the collogue is bein hauden in Embro, the'll be monie een oot an aboot, coontin heids an ettlin tae jalouse the strenth an wecht o uphaud that ligs ahint the Scots Leid Associe, sae a guid turn-oot wadna gaun amiss.
Copiericht
Copiericht for awthin screivit in this wittins blat bides wi R. Fairnie. The Scots Tung Wittins can be fotie-copied in hail or in pairt athoot leemit o nummers an this hauds guid an aw for onie pairt o the wittins blat that's furthset in onie ither publication.
Dae yer messages at TESCO's Hen?
A raicent TV news item threapit that staff at TESCO haed been telt no tae cry onie o thair female customers "Hen" but ane o thair high-heid anes, speakin on the wireless later on, suin pit the maitter richt an threapit the report wis juist "rubbish". The management's na-say o the report is tae be walcomed for sic an evendoon exemplar o linguistic discreemination, foondit on monoglotal iggerance, shuirlie wadna hiv been tholed agin the praisent backgrund o EU human an linguistic richts legislations. It wad hiv been fleein in the face o the speerit o the European Chairter for Regional or Minority Languages an aw, no tae mint the potential rid faces gin sic a thing haed kythed in the mids o the European Year o the Languages. Fowk says the'r aye some watter whaur the stirkie droons but the TESCO na-say haes tae be taen for whit it is — sic discreemination is nae pairt o its offeecial ettles. Gin onie ither nether-heid ane haed taen it on thirsel, oot o iggerant linguistic cockapentie, tae mak sic a threap, they've nae doot haed thair palmies bi noo an it's no lik tae kythe agane.
The Scots lassie gittin cried "Hen" is nae diffrent frae the American lassie gittin cried "Hon". Honey is the English word for the Scots Hennie an the cuttie forms for baith is Hon an Hen, baith uised as a term o endearment an baith haein the exack same meanin. Daes oniebodie really trew that maist Scots cry thair weeminfowk efter a chicken?
Twa-three year syne, TESCO in Dunblane allooed the bairns frae Dunblane Primary Schuil tae chynge the feck o the signs in thair store frae English intae Scots for twa-three weeks. Whit a braith o caller air the wad be gin TESCO aw ower Scotland, forbye allooin linguistic freedom tae thair staff, stertit cryin
Neist Forgaitherin
Monday 18t. Juin 2001
7.30pm tae 9.00pm
Comatee Rm. C.
Brunton Ha, Musselburgh
The Scots Tung Wittins can be vizzied or doon-haundelt an prentit (noo in HTML format forbye) frae the wabsteid o:-
The Scots Speikers Curn, Glesca.
Wabsteid backin:-
Http://www.mlove.free-online.co.uk/
A hard copie o STW is sent free o chairge tae aw maimbers o Scots Tung ilka month.
Maimbership subscreivins is £5 (Scotland/UK)
Peyed ilka September.
£6 (Ireland/EU) $14 (Americae)
Tobar an Dualchais/Kist o Riches
"The projeck haes been welcomed bi the Scots language groups an aw"
AN ambeetious projeck is bein pit forrit tae hae the sma Scottish inch o Tiree furthset aboot eichteen thoosan oors o Scots an Gaelic soond recordins on the Warld Wide Wab.
"Tobar an Dulchais/Kist o Riches", the twa leidit nem in Gaelic an Scots for the projeck, wad gie fowk intrestit in Scottish cultur the inlat tae listen ower the wab tae stories, sangs, music an fack-lik wittins.
Aw the graith will be in the oreeginal vices an will be bieldit agin fawin awa bi the digital technology uised tae record thaim. The abuin recordins will be taen frae BBC Scotland, The Schuil o Scottish Studies at Edinburgh Univairsity an the Campbell Collection, a curn o recordins on wax ceelinders frae 1935.
Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, the Gaelic hert o the Univairsity o the Highlands an Islands, is in the mids o meisurin the intrest fowk is like tae hae in makin uiss o the on-wab faceelity. Thae wittins is necessar tae git haud o siller tae pey for the projeck an oniebodie ettlin tae gie inpit tae the survey can dae it ower the wab on http://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk/dualchas/questionaire.htm For the projeck tae come intae bein, it's thocht that aboot £3m will be wantit.
Speakin tae Eurolang, Martain MacIntyre the projeck heid-ane said that gin they got the siller, they wad howp tae hae the fower year projeck up an rinnin bi neist year. He eikit they wad throu-pit twal thoosan oors o recordins in the first pairt then keep on eikin tae the wabsteid server. He feinisht bi sayin the'd be somethin for awbodie in "Tobar an Dulchais/Kist o Riches" that haed onie intrest in Scottish cultur.
The projeck haes been walcomed bi the Scots language groups an aw.
Aboot eicht hunner fowk bides on Tiree an, oot o aw the isles o the Inner Hebrides the uiss o the Gaelic language, that is spoken in Tiree wi a kenspeckle tune, is strangest o aw.Tiree wis chaisen tae tak on the foremaist projeck syne the'r rowth o sindert graith frae Tiree, baith in BBC an the Schuil o Scottish Studies, an cause the'r fowk thare able tae dae the wark.
Seen Ootside Anither Pub.
SCOTS TUNG'S ain stravaigin reporter haes juist gotten back frae an expedeetion tae the mirkie depths o Canonmills, liggin gey near in the shaddaes o the tropical taigle an palm trees o Auld Reekie's Botanical Gairdens. The native Canonmillers is reportit tae be richt freendly an helpfu tae the orra passin stravaiger an gaberlunzie an ae hostelry cried Smithie's, haes a bleckbuird ootside the door tae wyce the passin explorers in the native language o the airt, whit the wather's gaun tae be like that day. The follaein wittins wis chalkit up, the day Scots Tung's reporter wis in the airt:-
[NOTE: cartoon here in original]
Is Written Scots a Foreign Language tae Maist Hamelt Scots Speakers?
SOME fowk that's juist been gien a copy o this news letter for the first time, haes come richt oot wi it. "That's nae guid tae me, it's ower hard tae read!" Monie o the 1.5m tae 2.5m hamelt Scots speakers identified bi different surveys in raicent years carries the norrie in thair heids that Scots is somethin a bit mair fantoosh nor the wey that they speak; sae fantoosh in fack, that maist o thaim canna unnerstaun it when they see it written doon. Is it onie wunner then that maist o thaim acceps the wey they speak as juist some kinna local workin cless slang juist like they war telt in the schuil.
Upsteerin Scots screivers, blythe tae write in Scots but maistlins haudin back frae the speakin o't, warsle wi orra spellins an aft losses sicht o the monie words that's shared atween Scots an English. This mistaen fecht tae fund a Scots word tae uise insteid o whit's perceived tae be an English ane whiles ends up wi a language that, tho recognised bi Scots scholars as a form o Scots, is aft a language that haes never ever been spoken in Scotland an isna recognised bi the hamelt Scots speaker, uneddicatit in the readin o Scots an never hivin heard the writers speakin it. They're no gaun tae mak a maucht tae lairn hou tae read a language that, on paper, leuks naethin like the wey they speak ilka day. They haed nae sic bother wi readin Oor Wullie or The Broons, e'en in the first hauf o the last century whan the Scots uised then wis a lang sicht braider nor the wattered doon language that's uised the day.
Naebody the day is gaun tae propone gaun back tae thon kinna spellins an language but the'r a muckle want for written Scots tae be makit a guid bit mair reader freendly if the'r tae be onie kinna mellin an mutual recognition atween the speakers an screivers o the leid. "Forgotten Folk" is weel aquent wi this kinch an it's ane that shuid be addressed bi aw Scots upsteerers for it's weel kent a sindert hoose canna staund an the Scots language o the 21t century will never be hail or the twa haufs comes thegither.
Tae be fair tae Scots writers, they dinna hae onie Scots dictionar that can compear wi e'en the maist hummle o English anes, for aw the guid an necessar work that's been duin bi the SNDA an ithers. For a stert, aw English dictionars is written in English frae batter tae batter. Scots dictionars is written in English tae. English dictionars is comprehensive an includes aw words imported intae the leid frae the classical Greek, Latin an ither foreign languages while Scots anes juist includes thae words that haes a different form o the classic word in Scots tae that uised in English, sic as the Scots "depute" insteid o the English "deputy". Tho the'll aye be a need for an English/Scots vairsion, nae Scots dictionar is gaun tae be complete or it's written aw in Scots an includes aw the words the leid shares wi English, juist like the English dictionar includes aw the words it shares wi Scots an ither foreign leids. Thiswad mak it easier for writers tae evyte wrangly owersettin shared words intae an orra kinna pseudo Scots.
Coorse, a comprehensive Scots dictionar the likes o thon isna gaun tae fund its wey intae the shops the morn but, in the mean-time, wi the hamecomin o the Scots Pairlament, the ratifeein o the European Chairter for Regional or Minority Languages, the foondin o the Cross Pairty Group on Scots an a growein swall o intrest in the Scots language, the'r gaun tae come a time, we howp, when fowk is gaun tae hiv tae sit doon an come up wi some kinna standart leet o Scots that's suitable for uiss on public signage in the pairlament, the schuils, on the street an for uiss on leaflets. In ither words, a Scots Dictionar o Public Signage that's no gaun tae hae onie lauchable pseudo Scots words for enemies o the leid tae lowp on an uise as ammunition. Aiblins the CPG can hae a think on wha can best tak on this darg an whaur the fundin is gaun tae come frae.
Makar's Neuk
AULD REIKIE wale o ilka town
That Scotland kens beneath the moon;
Whare couthy cheils at e'ening meet
Their bizzing craigs and mous to weet;
And blythly gar auld care gae bye
Wi blinkit and wi bleering eye:
O'er lang frae thee the Muse has been
Sae frisky on the Simmer's green,
What flowers and gowans wont to glent
In bonny blinks upo the bent;
But now the leaves of yellow dye,
Peel'd frae the branches, quickly fly;
And now frae nouther bush nor brier
The spreckl'd mavis greets your ear;
Nor bonny blackbird skims and roves
To seek his love in yonder groves.
Robert Fergusson
Juin 2001
Keep a guid Scots tung in yer heid an in yer hert! But mind an uise it tae!
Scots Tung WITTINS
Eydentlie uphaudin the Scots Leid Campaine
e-screive: [CENSORED: emailaddress] Ph. [CENSORED: phonenumber] Stravaiger Ph. [CENSORED: phonenumber]
SLS Collogue 2001 For Auld Reekie
[NOTE: a photograph here in original]
THE Scots Language Society's Annual Collogue 2001 is set tae be hauden this year on Sunday 17t Juin (11am tae 4pm) in the Netherbow Theatre, High Street, Embro. Aiblins haufweys atween the Scots Pairlament an Holyrood Hoose is juist aboot richt for sic a collogue at a time whan fowk is stertin tae jalouse the weird o the language is aboot tae tak a turn for the guid. The'r nae doot this towmond past haes been a guid ane for the Scots language, if no aye for the final ootcome, it haes been guid for biggin the foonds a gleg an leevin-lik language needs for lowpin frae. Fowk juist haes tae mind the key things that haes kythed ower the bygane towmond tae ken that the campaine for the Scots language is gaun forrit an no backweys. Juist think on the likes o Irene McGugan MSP takin ower as the Preses o the Scots Language Society forbye takin a leadin haund, alang wi Cathy Peattie MSP, in the estaiblishment o the Cross Pairtie Group on Scots in the Scots Pairlament, the wark that's bein duin for the European Year o the Languages this year bi the SLRC an the Scottish CILT at Stirling Univairsity, the Forgotten Folk campaine ower the time o the census an the awaurness o Scots it gart in the media an estaiblishment, the British ratifeein o the European Chairter for Regional or Minority Languages that taks effeck on 1t Julie 2001. On tap o aw thon, the'r been a swall o intrest in the furthsettin o Scots buiks wi the kenspeckle "But an Ben A-Go-Go" bi Matthew Fitt an Colin Wilson's suin tae be furthset lairn yersel Scots buik alang wi ithers. No forgettin ither curns the likes o Scots Tung that's leadin the wey wi the furthsettin o Scots Christmas cairds ilka year (4.5 tae 5.5 thoosan) an the success o its Scots writin competeetion in the schuils o East Lothian while Mither Tongue an Doris in Doric is twa nor-aist companies that's pruivin the'r a commercial mercat for Scots greetin cairds o aw kin-kind. The West Lothian Broadly Scots Society haes furthset thair new West Lothian Scots Dictionar efter complouterin wi the bairns in the West Lothian primary schuils tae dae the illustrations. Ay, Scots is a lang gate frae bein deid an this bygane year haes gien the leid the souch o better days tae come. It faws noo on aw its upsteerers tae keep the pat bylin an tak the ure.
ANNUAL COLLOGUE 2001 PROGRAM
11.00am—11.30am:
Walcome bi Preses Irene McGugan MSP.
Talk: The Wark o the Cross Pairtie Group in the Scots Pairlament.
Quaistens.
11.30am—12.30pm:
Schuils an Adult Competeetion Winners;
Readins an prizes
12.30pm—1.30pm:
Maet, an meet the Lallans Comatee
(braw pieces, wee sassidge an veggie rolls, sindrie vol-au-vents, kail, tea & coffee.)
The Editor will introduce memmers o the Lallans Comatee able for tae attend, an speir at fowk for feedback on the magazine, help wi sales an that.
1.30pm—3.00pm:
Collogue: Scots in Schuils
Panel o teachers includin Willie Hershaw, John Hodgart, Liz Niven, Lovina Roe (an ithers) will gie a series o cuttie talks anent thair ain wark wi Scots (5-10 meenits ilkane) syne tak pairt in a panel-led collogue convened bi the Preses.
3.00pm—3.30pm:
Awthegither: 'The Boddam Line'
Hauf-oor discussion heidit bi the Preses: whit's the Associe's weishes for a richt public uphaud seestem for the Scots leid?
3.30pm—4.00pm:
Annual General Meetin o the Associe
Tak guid tent that the Netherbow is leemitit tae 75 fowk—sae dinna be blate an dinna be late. Ingang stent is £10 the heid. Bank-lines can be makit oot tae the Scots Language Society an sent on tae the Secretar, John Law, [CENSORED: postaladdress] or nae doot ye can phone him on [CENSORED: phonenumber] tae buik a place an then pey at the door. For aw that the collogue taks place on a Sunday, an efter aw the stour the Cross Pairtie Group haes been steerin up in the pairlament an in ither airts, an parteeclar syne the collogue is bein hauden in Embro, the'll be monie een oot an aboot, coontin heids an ettlin tae jalouse the strenth an wecht o uphaud that ligs ahint the Scots Leid Associe, sae a guid turn-oot wadna gaun amiss.
Copiericht
Copiericht for awthin screivit in this wittins blat bides wi R. Fairnie. The Scots Tung Wittins can be fotie-copied in hail or in pairt athoot leemit o nummers an this hauds guid an aw for onie pairt o the wittins blat that's furthset in onie ither publication.
Dae yer messages at TESCO's Hen?
A raicent TV news item threapit that staff at TESCO haed been telt no tae cry onie o thair female customers "Hen" but ane o thair high-heid anes, speakin on the wireless later on, suin pit the maitter richt an threapit the report wis juist "rubbish". The management's na-say o the report is tae be walcomed for sic an evendoon exemplar o linguistic discreemination, foondit on monoglotal iggerance, shuirlie wadna hiv been tholed agin the praisent backgrund o EU human an linguistic richts legislations. It wad hiv been fleein in the face o the speerit o the European Chairter for Regional or Minority Languages an aw, no tae mint the potential rid faces gin sic a thing haed kythed in the mids o the European Year o the Languages. Fowk says the'r aye some watter whaur the stirkie droons but the TESCO na-say haes tae be taen for whit it is — sic discreemination is nae pairt o its offeecial ettles. Gin onie ither nether-heid ane haed taen it on thirsel, oot o iggerant linguistic cockapentie, tae mak sic a threap, they've nae doot haed thair palmies bi noo an it's no lik tae kythe agane.
The Scots lassie gittin cried "Hen" is nae diffrent frae the American lassie gittin cried "Hon". Honey is the English word for the Scots Hennie an the cuttie forms for baith is Hon an Hen, baith uised as a term o endearment an baith haein the exack same meanin. Daes oniebodie really trew that maist Scots cry thair weeminfowk efter a chicken?
Twa-three year syne, TESCO in Dunblane allooed the bairns frae Dunblane Primary Schuil tae chynge the feck o the signs in thair store frae English intae Scots for twa-three weeks. Whit a braith o caller air the wad be gin TESCO aw ower Scotland, forbye allooin linguistic freedom tae thair staff, stertit cryin
Neist Forgaitherin
Monday 18t. Juin 2001
7.30pm tae 9.00pm
Comatee Rm. C.
Brunton Ha, Musselburgh
The Scots Tung Wittins can be vizzied or doon-haundelt an prentit (noo in HTML format forbye) frae the wabsteid o:-
The Scots Speikers Curn, Glesca.
Wabsteid backin:-
Http://www.mlove.free-online.co.uk/
A hard copie o STW is sent free o chairge tae aw maimbers o Scots Tung ilka month.
Maimbership subscreivins is £5 (Scotland/UK)
Peyed ilka September.
£6 (Ireland/EU) $14 (Americae)
Tobar an Dualchais/Kist o Riches
"The projeck haes been welcomed bi the Scots language groups an aw"
AN ambeetious projeck is bein pit forrit tae hae the sma Scottish inch o Tiree furthset aboot eichteen thoosan oors o Scots an Gaelic soond recordins on the Warld Wide Wab.
"Tobar an Dulchais/Kist o Riches", the twa leidit nem in Gaelic an Scots for the projeck, wad gie fowk intrestit in Scottish cultur the inlat tae listen ower the wab tae stories, sangs, music an fack-lik wittins.
Aw the graith will be in the oreeginal vices an will be bieldit agin fawin awa bi the digital technology uised tae record thaim. The abuin recordins will be taen frae BBC Scotland, The Schuil o Scottish Studies at Edinburgh Univairsity an the Campbell Collection, a curn o recordins on wax ceelinders frae 1935.
Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, the Gaelic hert o the Univairsity o the Highlands an Islands, is in the mids o meisurin the intrest fowk is like tae hae in makin uiss o the on-wab faceelity. Thae wittins is necessar tae git haud o siller tae pey for the projeck an oniebodie ettlin tae gie inpit tae the survey can dae it ower the wab on http://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk/dualchas/questionaire.htm For the projeck tae come intae bein, it's thocht that aboot £3m will be wantit.
Speakin tae Eurolang, Martain MacIntyre the projeck heid-ane said that gin they got the siller, they wad howp tae hae the fower year projeck up an rinnin bi neist year. He eikit they wad throu-pit twal thoosan oors o recordins in the first pairt then keep on eikin tae the wabsteid server. He feinisht bi sayin the'd be somethin for awbodie in "Tobar an Dulchais/Kist o Riches" that haed onie intrest in Scottish cultur.
The projeck haes been walcomed bi the Scots language groups an aw.
Aboot eicht hunner fowk bides on Tiree an, oot o aw the isles o the Inner Hebrides the uiss o the Gaelic language, that is spoken in Tiree wi a kenspeckle tune, is strangest o aw.Tiree wis chaisen tae tak on the foremaist projeck syne the'r rowth o sindert graith frae Tiree, baith in BBC an the Schuil o Scottish Studies, an cause the'r fowk thare able tae dae the wark.
Seen Ootside Anither Pub.
SCOTS TUNG'S ain stravaigin reporter haes juist gotten back frae an expedeetion tae the mirkie depths o Canonmills, liggin gey near in the shaddaes o the tropical taigle an palm trees o Auld Reekie's Botanical Gairdens. The native Canonmillers is reportit tae be richt freendly an helpfu tae the orra passin stravaiger an gaberlunzie an ae hostelry cried Smithie's, haes a bleckbuird ootside the door tae wyce the passin explorers in the native language o the airt, whit the wather's gaun tae be like that day. The follaein wittins wis chalkit up, the day Scots Tung's reporter wis in the airt:-
[NOTE: cartoon here in original]
Is Written Scots a Foreign Language tae Maist Hamelt Scots Speakers?
SOME fowk that's juist been gien a copy o this news letter for the first time, haes come richt oot wi it. "That's nae guid tae me, it's ower hard tae read!" Monie o the 1.5m tae 2.5m hamelt Scots speakers identified bi different surveys in raicent years carries the norrie in thair heids that Scots is somethin a bit mair fantoosh nor the wey that they speak; sae fantoosh in fack, that maist o thaim canna unnerstaun it when they see it written doon. Is it onie wunner then that maist o thaim acceps the wey they speak as juist some kinna local workin cless slang juist like they war telt in the schuil.
Upsteerin Scots screivers, blythe tae write in Scots but maistlins haudin back frae the speakin o't, warsle wi orra spellins an aft losses sicht o the monie words that's shared atween Scots an English. This mistaen fecht tae fund a Scots word tae uise insteid o whit's perceived tae be an English ane whiles ends up wi a language that, tho recognised bi Scots scholars as a form o Scots, is aft a language that haes never ever been spoken in Scotland an isna recognised bi the hamelt Scots speaker, uneddicatit in the readin o Scots an never hivin heard the writers speakin it. They're no gaun tae mak a maucht tae lairn hou tae read a language that, on paper, leuks naethin like the wey they speak ilka day. They haed nae sic bother wi readin Oor Wullie or The Broons, e'en in the first hauf o the last century whan the Scots uised then wis a lang sicht braider nor the wattered doon language that's uised the day.
Naebody the day is gaun tae propone gaun back tae thon kinna spellins an language but the'r a muckle want for written Scots tae be makit a guid bit mair reader freendly if the'r tae be onie kinna mellin an mutual recognition atween the speakers an screivers o the leid. "Forgotten Folk" is weel aquent wi this kinch an it's ane that shuid be addressed bi aw Scots upsteerers for it's weel kent a sindert hoose canna staund an the Scots language o the 21t century will never be hail or the twa haufs comes thegither.
Tae be fair tae Scots writers, they dinna hae onie Scots dictionar that can compear wi e'en the maist hummle o English anes, for aw the guid an necessar work that's been duin bi the SNDA an ithers. For a stert, aw English dictionars is written in English frae batter tae batter. Scots dictionars is written in English tae. English dictionars is comprehensive an includes aw words imported intae the leid frae the classical Greek, Latin an ither foreign languages while Scots anes juist includes thae words that haes a different form o the classic word in Scots tae that uised in English, sic as the Scots "depute" insteid o the English "deputy". Tho the'll aye be a need for an English/Scots vairsion, nae Scots dictionar is gaun tae be complete or it's written aw in Scots an includes aw the words the leid shares wi English, juist like the English dictionar includes aw the words it shares wi Scots an ither foreign leids. Thiswad mak it easier for writers tae evyte wrangly owersettin shared words intae an orra kinna pseudo Scots.
Coorse, a comprehensive Scots dictionar the likes o thon isna gaun tae fund its wey intae the shops the morn but, in the mean-time, wi the hamecomin o the Scots Pairlament, the ratifeein o the European Chairter for Regional or Minority Languages, the foondin o the Cross Pairty Group on Scots an a growein swall o intrest in the Scots language, the'r gaun tae come a time, we howp, when fowk is gaun tae hiv tae sit doon an come up wi some kinna standart leet o Scots that's suitable for uiss on public signage in the pairlament, the schuils, on the street an for uiss on leaflets. In ither words, a Scots Dictionar o Public Signage that's no gaun tae hae onie lauchable pseudo Scots words for enemies o the leid tae lowp on an uise as ammunition. Aiblins the CPG can hae a think on wha can best tak on this darg an whaur the fundin is gaun tae come frae.
Makar's Neuk
AULD REIKIE wale o ilka town
That Scotland kens beneath the moon;
Whare couthy cheils at e'ening meet
Their bizzing craigs and mous to weet;
And blythly gar auld care gae bye
Wi blinkit and wi bleering eye:
O'er lang frae thee the Muse has been
Sae frisky on the Simmer's green,
What flowers and gowans wont to glent
In bonny blinks upo the bent;
But now the leaves of yellow dye,
Peel'd frae the branches, quickly fly;
And now frae nouther bush nor brier
The spreckl'd mavis greets your ear;
Nor bonny blackbird skims and roves
To seek his love in yonder groves.
Robert Fergusson
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Scots Tung Wittins 91. 2024. In The Scottish Corpus of Texts & Speech. Glasgow: University of Glasgow. Retrieved 21 November 2024, from http://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk/document/?documentid=1742.
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Scots Tung Wittins 91
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