Document 1790

Scots Tung Wittins 139

Author(s): Robert Fairnie

Copyright holder(s): Name withheld

Nummer 139
Juin 2005

A guid Scots Tung in yer heid's nae guid if yer mooth's ower blate tae uise it!

Scots Tung WITTINs

Eydently Campaignin for the Scots Leid
Ph. [CENSORED: phonenumber] Scots Tung Wabsite: http://uk.geocities.com/rfairnie@btinternet.com/ Stravaiger Ph. [CENSORED: phonenumber]

Depute Minister o Education Haes a Word wi CPG
[NOTE: a photograph here from the meeting in original]
ON the nicht o Tuesday 16 Mey, Euan Robson MSP, Depute Minister o Education at the Scots Executive, cam alang tae a weel packed forgaitherin o the Cross Pairty Group on Scots tae gie his consaits aboot the Executive's policy for the Scots language an whit it's daein aboot it. He wis pleasantly surprised tae see sic a guid turn oot an cam ower as bein richt fu o naethin but praise an enthusiasm for the Scots language in general an in its place in education in particular. Howanever, he said airly on that, "The Scottish Executive considers the Scots language to be an important part of Scotland's distinctive linguistic and cultural heritage. It appreciates that Scots is a language many children bring to school and advocates the inclusion of Scots in the curriculum. However, the Executive considers that resourses for the language are best provided through the education system in the teaching of a proper awareness and appreciation of the language, rather than through specific programmes." This wis the start o the want o substance in whit he haed tae say for the rest o the nicht an thon wis the ba burst. As a soond bite it haed hair richt doon tae its knees an wis taen strecht, word for word, oot the mooth o Michael Forsyth when he wis the Scottish Secretar in the mid 1990s. It wis in the Scots Language Factsheet o Maggie Thatcher's government an haes been copied word for word intae the Scots Language Factsheet o the praisent Scots Executive. Daes this mean that the Executive is blythe tae keep its intervention in the uphaud o the Scots language doon tae the same level as it wis in the last Tory government o 1995? Whae kens? But facts is cheils that winnae ding an they hiv a habit o speakin for thirsels. The minister answered mony questions frae the body o the kirk wi some gey ecouragin repones but aften aye wi the qualification that, "We do not have a prescriptive curriculum in Scotland and it is up to local authorities and schools to decide what is taught to children." Coorse there wis nae mention that we haed a non-prescriptive curriculum because in the bygane, politicians like hissel haed decreed bi law that thon wis the wey things wis tae be. He an his feres haes the pooer an the owerance tae dae somethin aboot it if they're really o a mind tae. Whare wis the non-prescriptive Scottish curriculum in 1872 when a Liberal government passed the Education (Scotland) Act that forced the Gaelic an Scots languages oot o the clessrooms o aw Scottish scuils? If the proponed National Language Strategy is daured frae lowpin the same non-prescriptive wa as the Scots Language Factsheet, an the European Chairter is, then whit guid is it gaun tae dae?

Professor Joe LoBianco wad ken the answer an the Scots Executive kens fine an aw.

Are Ye Braw?
A report bi the Stravaigin Reporter owerset intae Scots bi the Editor
[NOTE: a photograph of the team in original]
WHEN the hinnermaist year HND Conference an Events Management students frae Edinburgh's Telford College consultit the online Scots Dictionar, they fund oot that the word 'brawly' means 'in guid health'. Foondit on this, they cried the Conference an Exhibition hauden in the Assembly Rooms on Seturday 21st Mey, "Are Ye Braw?" They thocht an aw that it wad grip the een o different folk as it taen in the holistic vizzy o weel-bein that the Confex wis ettlin tae forder.

The ongaun wis gien an innin bi Radio Forth's DJ Grant Stott an the efternuin wis kicked aff wi a braw forcie performance bi the Oxgangs Ballette Dancin Troupe. Aw the siller ingaithert frae the ongaun gaed tae the charity Help a Child, that Radio Forth haes been uphaudin for 25 year.

The students warked unner the title Target Events an the ettles o the Confex wis tae forder, educate an tae let the general public ken aboot aw the sindry weys tae feel, look an be healthy. This wis duin bi wey o exhibition staunds frae Neal's Yaird, Hanover Health Foods, Edinburgh Leisure, Lush, Virgin, Edinburgh Organics, Bioforce an Joy Beauty Therapy. There wis talks an consultations, aerobic demonstrations, cookery tips the likes o the best weys tae sort, serve an keep crudités, alang wi delicious preeins. There wis complimentary heid massage an manicure, lots o free haund-oots as weel as the usual raffle an prize draws alang wi a preein o the fantoosh Jolly Green Smoothie frae Health on Hanover Street.

Receipt for the Jolly Green Smoothie
250ml organic aipple juice
1 organic bananae
1dspn organic linseeds
1dspn spirulina poother
2 tbspn organic hemp seed ile
1dspn organic pumpkin seeds
1 tspn lecithin granules
1dspn Solgar Whey to Go protein
Juist pit aw the ingredients intae a blender an wheech thaim roond till smooth.

~~~~~~~~oooooooo~~~~~~~~
Efter the experience, that wis helpit alang bi the enthusiasm an freendliness o the students, the repone tae thair question, ‘Are Ye Braw?' wis maist definitely 'Ay!'
© Irene Broon

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.

Scots Tung WITTINS
On the wab.
Mair raicent copies o the Scots Tung Wittins can be gotten in pdf format frae Scots Tung's wabsite 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)

Poems - A Puckle Mair" bi Davie Kerr
A review bi Irene Broon owerset intae Scots bi the editor
[NOTE: image of the book cover in original]
WHEN the ootside cover o Davie Kerr's pamphlet, Poems - A Puckle Mair is opened richt oot, it shaws the picter o a silhouetted Edinburgh agin a blue gloamin sky that's superimposed wi the crossed vapour trails o twa planes formin thirsels intae the shape o a saltire. Ye can juist aboot feel the airish braith comin frae the Capital's cauld blue castle. But yince the reader turns tae the ither side o the airtist, Robert Laird's braw image tae read the poems inside, there's juist the warmth o Davie Kerr's words.
His picter o the warld throu his poems comes ower as a gey couthie an thochtfu yin. Davie is an Airmidale man, a yae-time miner an Gordon Heilander that served in the Saicont Warld War. Apairt frae his rhymin skills, he writes gey near juist the wey he speaks, sae his wark is written in a language that shuid be weel unnerstuid bi thaim that yaises it tae communicate wi in thair ilkaday lives, an no as the academic exercise o a body writin in a foreign language. His feelins aboot the yiss o Scots is weel seen aw the wey throu his wark, but particlar in the souch o the poem,

A Word In Yer Lug.
The guid Scots tung, gin hert an heid
mair aften yaised thir hidden pooers,
cuid chynge the image o its leid, -
english debased, - or proodly oors.

His topics reinges frae politics, pairsonal memories, traivel an philosophy tae some haein a bit laugh at hissel and plain impidence as in, Stoap The Glo**al Stop.

The wee buikie is dedicated tae:- "...all those for whom the onset of the third age is not recognised as a signal permanently stuck on red..."

The poems aw scans weel, haes guid rhymes an is easy tae read but if he cuid feel brave enough tae gaun throu the rid licht whiles an breck frae rhymin, he micht find some liberation in his writin athoot lossin ony o his poetry.
Davie Kerr's previous first publication, A Puckle Poems, that costs £3, an this pamphlet, Poems-A Puckle Mair at £1.50, can be bocht direct frae Davie hissel bi phonin the nummer: 01501 731790
© Irene Broon

New Scots Tung Wabsite
[NOTE: image of the website's home page in original]
THE new Scots Tung Wabsite, as weel as shawin aff its new suit o claes, shaws aff a mair modern leuk an aw, no juist in appearance but in language tae. As the heidmaist aims o Scots Tung is tae forder literacy amang the native Scots speakers that yaises the Scots language as thair first chyce for ilka-day communication, the wabsite haes tried tae adopt a written form o Scots that mair accurately reflects the wey Scots is spoken the day bi thae Scots speakers. The words ablow, that's been taen frae the pages o the wabsite, speaks for thirsels:-
Walcome tae the new wabsite o Scots Tung, the yin that tells ye a guid Scots tung in yer heid's nae guid if yer mooth's ower blate tae yaise it. If ye're a native Scots speaker, try an get yaised tae seein the language ye speak every day in its written form athin thae pages.

Ye might hiv been telt bi yer teacher an bi ithers that whit ye speak is juist a local slang or even an ill-moothit kind o English but it's no. It's Scots aw right! There mony kinds o Scots that depends maistly on whare ye bide an they're aw dialects o Scots. Nane o them is dialects o English. Aboot twa thirds o the words in a guid Scots text is words that the English language shares wi Scots. Baith thae languages acquired thae words maistly aboot the same time an baith his an equal right tae yaise them an cry them their ain.
As oor slogan at the heid o ilka page threaps, "Literate Scots Speakers" is the gree that Scots Tung aims tae bear. It's for this reason that the written Scots o this wab-site his tried tae reflect the wey maist verbal yaisers o the language speaks it the day.

A lot o the auld 'ch' spellins, but no them aw, his been chynged tae the mair popular 'gh' sae that the written language reflects mair accurately the wey maist folk speaks it the day. Howanever, if ye're yin o the minority that speaks the language ilka day wi the 'ch' soond then dinnae chynge the wey ye speak but adapt yer pronunciation o thae spellins tae suit the wey ye speak an yaise the 'ch' soond for the 'gh' spellin juist the wey oor forebeirs did in the bygane afore English drapped the 'ch' pronunciation ower fower hunder year syne. If ye need a guid exemplar o this think o 'haugh'.

Life an Daith
IF ye want tae save a language like Scots frae extinction aw ye hiv tae dae is yaise it on a regular basis for yer ilka-day spoken conversation. The shairest wey tae gar a language, like Scots, dree a certain daith is bi yaisin anither language for yer ilka-day spoken conversation insteid o Scots. Even tho ye dae a lot o writin in Scots, the language will still dee oot. Literature is gey important but a language cannae survive on literature alane. If it cuid, then Latin an mony ither auld languages wad still be alive an kickin the day. The spoken language is whit a language soonds like an is the body that hauds thon language thegither. The written language is that language's sowel, an tho the yin cannae dae wantin the ither, athoot a body, there nae anchor for the sowel an it flees oot the windae tae certain daith an oblivion. Time is no on the side o the Scots language sae dinnae leave the speakin o't till it's ower late.

Makar's Neuk
THE TWA BOOKS
Two books, near neighbours in a shop,
The tane a guilded Turky Fop,
The tither's Face was weather-beaten,
And caf-skin Jacket sair worm-eaten.
The Corky, proud of his braw Suit,
Curl'd up his Nose, and thus cry'd out,

"Ah! place me on some fresher Binks,
Figh! how this mouldy Creature stinks!
How can a gentle Book like me
Endure sic scoundrel Company?
What may fowk say to see me cling
Sae close to this auld ugly thing;
But that I'm of a simple Spirit,
And disregard my proper Merit?"

Quoth Gray-baird, "Whish, Sir, with your Din,
For a' your meritorious Skin,
I doubt if you be worth within,
For as auld-fashion'd as I look,
May be I am the better Book.

O Heavens! I canna thole the Clash
Of this impertinent auld Hash;
I winna stay ae Moment langer."
"My Lord, please to command your Anger;
Pray only let me tell you that -- "
"What wad this Insolent be at!
Rot out your Tongue - Pray, Master Symmer,
Remove me frae this dinsome Rhimer:
If you regard your Reputation,
And us of a distinguish'd Station,
Hence frae this Beast let me be hurried,
For with this Stour and Stink I'm worried."

Scarce had he shook his paughty Crap,
When in a Customer did pap;
He up douse Stanza lifts, and ey's him,
Turns o'er his Leaves, admires and buys him:
"This Book," said he, "is good and scarce,
The Saul of Sense in sweetest Verse."
But reading title of gilt cleathing,
Cries, "Gods! wha buys this bonny naithing?
Nought duller e'er was put in Print:
Wow! what a deal of Turky's tint!"

Now, Sir, t'apply what we've invented,
You are the buyer represented:
And, may your Servant hope
My Lays shall merit your Regard,
I'll thank the Gods for my Reward,
And smile at ilka Fop.

Allan Ramsay (c1684/6 - 1758)

Nixt Forgaitherin
Tae be arranged

Information about Document 1790

Scots Tung Wittins 139