Document 1774

Scots Tung Wittins 123

Author(s): Robert Fairnie

Copyright holder(s): Name withheld

Nummer 123
Feb 2004

Keep a guid Scots Tung in yer heid an in yer hert! But mind an uise it tae! Feb 2004

Scots Tung WITTINS

Eydently uphaudin the Scots Leid Campaign
Ph.[CENSORED: phonenumber] Scots Tung Wabsteid: http://uk.geocities.com/rfairnie@btinternet.com/ Stravaiger Ph. [CENSORED: phonenumber]

Scots Tung on the Wab
[NOTE: image here of the website's home page in original]
SCOTS TUNG noo haes its ain wabsteid up an rinnin on the wab an a copy o its Hame Page is prentit ablow here. The wab-steid is airtit at the hamelt Scots speakers an fleetches thaim tae try an learn hou tae read the modern written forms o the language that they speak an e'en tae try thair haund at writin some o thair ain letters in Scots. It maks the pynt that there nae uiss keepin a guid Scots Tung in yer heid if ye dinnae uise it an threaps that it ettles tae see Scots uised the day as a livin language raither nor juist as an objeck o academic study throu the medium o English.

It campaigns an aw tae hae baith spoken an written forms o the language uised in aw the areas o Scottish life includin the Estaiblishment an the Media an for the language tae be gien its richtfu staundin an it gies a wee bit guidal forbye on hou tae pronounce the modern spellins. It fleetches the hamelt Scots speakers no tae chynge the wey they speak tae suit the spellins but raither tae adapt the wey they pronounce the spellins tae suit the wey they speak.

The Keekin Gless is a page whaur maimbers can contribute news stories frae the media that they've owerset intae thair ain Scots.Anither page gies particulars an picters o the Yule cairds that we've got left efter Christmas 2003. The final coont isnae in yet but it leuks like oor sales is heidin for ower fower an a hauf thoosand.

The hinnermaist pages dales wi cleeks intae ither Scots language wabsteids an follaed wi ane that gies a wey intae seein an gittin haud o pdf copies o the Scots Tung Wittins frae its edition nummer 120 forrit an the hinnermaist ane gies a leet o the thirteen principles taen frae Scots: A Statement o Principles, furthset bi the Cross Pairty Group on Scots at the Scots Pairlament an speirs readers tae rax in thair consaits anent thae principles bi e-mail.

The Statement o Principles
WHEN the Cross Pairty Group on Scots' "Scots: A Statement o Principles" wis launched fernyear, it kinna tint its wey in the rin up tae the Scots Pairlament elections sae the CPG thocht it wad be a guid thing tae bring it back tae the tent o MSPs agane. On Monday 19 Januar, a copy o the thirteen principles taen frae the stert o the document wis pitten intae a questionnaire format an sent bi e-mail, alang wi a kivverin letter frae the CPG, tae aw the 129 MSPs in the Scots Pairlament. The questionnaire speirt thaim tae tak ilka ane o the therteen principles an say if they greed wi thaim or no bi merkin "Aye", "Na" or "Dinna ken" in the spaces gien. Athin an oor the first ane cam back wi therteen "Aye's" on it.

A full pdf copy o the Statement o Principles can be gotten frae the official wabsteid o the Cross-Pairty Group in the Scots Pairlament on the Scots Language at:- http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/crossparty/cpg-scots.htm

Scots Tung WITTINS
On the wab.
The Scots Tung Wittins can be vizzied or doon-loadit an prentit (noo in pdf format forbye) frae the wabsteid o:-
The Scots Speikers Curn, Glesca.
Wabsteid backin:-
http://www.mlove.free-online.co.uk/
Mair raicent copies can noo be gotten in pdf format frae Scots Tung's ain new wabsteid at:-
http://uk.geocities.com/rfairnie@btinternet.com
A hard copy 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)

Nixt Forgaitherin
Monday 23 Februar 2004
7.30pm tae 9.00pm
Comatee Room C.
Brunton Ha, Musselburgh.

Neil Munro's Erchie
[NOTE: image here of the book cover in original]
ONYBODY that enjoyed readin aboot Para Handy or Jimmy Swan will nae doot enjoy Erchie, MY DROLL FRIEND.
This is a ingaitherin o sixty-ane stories written bi Neil Munro an furthset in the pages o the Glesca Evenin News frae 1902 tae 1926 but nane o thaim haes ivver been published in buik form afore the noo.

Maist o the buik is fu o Scots dialogue wi juist a wee bit o narrative here an thare that's maistly in Scottish Staundart English. The dialogue gies a guid insicht intae the language o Glesca in the first ten year o the twintieth century as lang's ye turn a blinn ee tae aw thon apostrophes that wis the acceppit wey o spellin in thae days.Oot o the mooths o Erchie, his guid-wife, Jinnet an his guid freend Duffy the coalman, comes a hail enlichtenment o aw the aspecks o life thare a hunner year syne. The subjecks brocht up kivvers sport, politics, fashion an maitters in the news o thon time. Thair cracks taen in the likes o Robert Burns, Andrew Carnegie, Harry Lauder, the scrammle tae be the first tae win tae the North Pole, the Glesca Fair holidays, the coronation o Edward VII, fleein machines an airieplanes, the Olympic Gemmes an mony ither subjecks.

This new edition o the Erchie tales wis howkit oot o the archives o the News bi the twa editors, Brian D. Osborne an Ronald Armstrong.

Furthset bi Birlinn wi a siller uphaud frae the Scots Airts Cooncil, the buik sells for £9.99.
ISBN: 1 84158 202 6
See www.birlinn.co.uk

Copyricht
© Copyricht for awthin written in this wittins blat bides wi R. Fairnie. The Scots Tung Wittins can be fotie-copied in hail or in pairt athoot limit o nummers an this hauds guid an aw for ony pairt o the wittins blat that's furthset in ony ither publication.

The Bletherin Skite
Bi the Stravaigin Reporter
TAE let ye ken aboot the newly named shop in Edinburgh's Stockbridge, Bletherin Skite, A can dae nae better than tae quote the proprietor, Mary Mochan's, ain haundoot.

Bletherin Skite (formerly Read Books)
We've got mair nor wittins fur ye!

Newspapers National, regional and international. Keep in touch wi whit's happenin at hame.
Magazines Hunners in stock includin mony specialist titles. A available tae order if wantit.
Stationery Fur a wark an play, at competitive prices. If we dinnae stock it, we can likely get it in fur the neist day.
Books Second haun exchange. Guid quality paperbacks ay wanted. New books, includin a scuil-buiks available tae order.

E Mobile phone top ups, Digital photocopies, LRT Smert
caird update, Jigsaws, cairds, gift wrap

Enjoy a visit tae yer local shop. Wean an dug freendly! We willnae bite an are
right pleased tae help. Hope tae see ye suin.
Mary (the Bletherin Skite)

Open Monday tae Seturday frae 07.30 tae 17.30, the Bletherin Skite is at:-
[CENSORED: postaladdress]. Ph: [CENSORED: phonenumber]

The reporter can vouch fur this freendly atmosphere. A while syne, A wantit tae mak a pair a
auld shuin leuk lik the ruby slippers frae The Wizard of Oz fur a freen whae wis a big fan o
Judy Garland. The staff in Bletherin Skite went oot o thir wey tae be helpfu bi suggestin juist
the richt kind o glue an juist the richt colour o sequins! They war richt chuffed when A took
thaim in a fotie o the braw ruby slippers. Mary Mochan's ither claim tae fame is that her faither
wis Neil Mochan that played for Celtic Fitba Club in the 1950s and 60s and noo has a
supporters' club in Denny cried efter him.

Mair Frae The Stravaigin Reporter
ON Thursday 22 Januar 2004, the Stravaigin Reporter fund hersel oot at Edinburgh Park at the fantoosh new biggin o Diageo the distillers an the warld's leadin premium drinks company. It wis tae tak pairt in an ongaun rin bi The Associe o Weemin in Property, Central Scotland Brainch, tae honour oor national Bard in an evenin cried, Burns wi a Twist. We war aw invitit tae pree a puckle o Diageo's weel kent swallies o whisky, gin, vodka or some o the ither fantoosh blends, alang wi some braw canapes an cheese. Efter that, the Stravaigin Reporter wis speirt tae recite twa-three bits o Burns' poetry. Seein as we war gittin hospitality frae a distiller, A thocht a rendition o bits o Scotch Drink follaed bi Here's a Bottle wad be apt. The company wis then treatit tae the lovely poem, Welcome tae a Bastart Wean, written tae walcome Burns' baby lassie tae Elizabeth Paton. The evenin feinisht wi a recitation o a couple o verses written bi the Starvaigin Reporter efter Burns' style aboot Weemen in Property, follaed bi a grand tour o the braw new biggin. A rerr evenin wis haed bi aw!

Address Tae Weemin In Property

If Burns cuid see wir modren warld
Whaur men's wark is bein duin bi girls
Ye micht think in his grave he'd birl -
But A wad doot it!
Mair like his smile wad bend tae a curl
Thinkin aboot it.

For Burns wis kent tae mak connections
At single gender male collections
Whaur ower a dram there'd be reflections
On subjecks dear
He micht hae only wan objection -
Nae aprons here!

Irene Brown

Ethnic?
IT'S Official - Scots, English an Welsh is "Ethnic" noo. In the bygane, when the Office o National Statistics (ONS) ingaithert statistics, sic as in the national census, on folks' ethnic originals, thaim frae the likes o India, Bangladesh, Africa, an e'en Ireland haed boxes tae lat see thair ethnic backgrund. But there wis naethin like thon for the likes o the Scots, Welsh or e'en the English. But noo, new guidals haes been pitten oot for the cairryin oot o official surveys an sae thae differences will be taen tent o an recordit. Howanever, there still aye gaun tae be a box for thaim that wad raither cry thirsels "British". Ony new surveys will noo hiv tae hae twa questions speirt anent folks' backgrunds, ane on ethnicity an the tither on nationality sae that folk will be able tae descrive thirsels, for exemplar, as Asian-Scots or, it haes been reportit, white-Welsh. If a body's ethnicity is Scots an thir nationality is Scots Wad thon no mak thaim Scots-Scots raither nor white-Scots or wad this no be whaur the "British" comes intae it an they micht hiv tae cry thirsels Scots-British?
Shuirly thon's eneuch tae mak yer heid birl.

Pairlament Juist Plowters Wi The Scots Leid.
THE Scots Pairlament an its Corporate Body is juist plowterin aboot wi the Scots language an its upsteerers an disnae hae ony intention o daein ocht positive tae gie ony meaninfu uphaud tae the leid. In the words o a kenspeckle Australian professor o linguistics, "No haein a policy in place tae uphaud an develop a minority language is in fack juist a sleekit deliberate policy tae encourage thon language tae dee oot."

The Executive an the Corporate Body haes been telt bi academic advisors that Scots is the language o the uneducatit workin clesses an its uiss is perceived bi thaim tae be the sign o a puir education an laich socio-economic backgrund. Sae the Pairlament's Corporate Body is blithe tae allou spoken Scots in the Pairlament, kennin fine that no mony MSPs haes the smeddum tae pit thair ain educational reputations in doot. On the ither haund, written Scots on signs in the new Pairlament biggin, that wad gie Scots a legitimate visible presence in Pairlament, is anither maitter an isnae bein alloued. The excuse is that English, Gaelic an Braille is the maist that can be uised athoot the signs gittin ower muckle. Shuirly Braille shuid be be separate frae the ither twa an at a hicht that can be reached bi the fingers o the blin folk? But pittin forrit airgiements tae thae folk, that haes thair ain minds steikit agin the weel-daein o Scots, is no gaun tae dae ony guid at aw. In raicent weeks upsteerers o baith the Welsh an the Breton languages haes fund it necessar tae think o takin unlawfu actions tae git thair consaits taen tent o. Is this gaun tae be the only gate left open for Scots language upsteerers tae tak an aw?

Makar's Neuk
The Upland Way

Bie now the sun has burnt awae
The dewdrops on the early day.
Then merry larks dae soar an sing
Fulfillen promises o spring
While peeweets skreigh upon the bent
An in short gress there is the glent
Where mountain pansies hae the pouer
Tae pit forth a wee gentle flouer.
The warmen sun brings honey smell
Frae croppit gress an heather bell.
Then listen as ye tak yer ease.
The distant hum o worken bees.

This is a place Ah fain wad stey
Bit onwards oo maun press oor wey.
So upwards on the Peniestane Brae
Tae join the Southern Upland Way.
Then owre the hill wi stellin heels
An airt on doon tae Tibbie Shiel's.

Frae A Song For Yarrow
Bi Walter Elliot

Information about Document 1774

Scots Tung Wittins 123