SCOTS Project - www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk Document : 1710 Title : Scots Tung Wittins 59 Author(s): Robert Fairnie Copyright holder(s): Name withheld Text Nummer 59 Nov. 1998 Keepin a guid Scots tung in yer heid's guid athoot ye lat it oot an uise it! Scots Tung WITTINS Eydentlie uphaudin the Scots Leid Campaine E-mail: [CENSORED: emailaddress] Ph. [CENSORED: phonenumber] The Doric Festival. Wi the stert o the Aiberdeenshire Doric Festival week comin up, BBC Reporting Scotland haed some wittins anent it an the muckle swall o intrest bein taen anent the Scots language in the rin up tae the Scottish pairliament. Sandy Stronach, the organiser o the abuin festival, wis makin the pynt that Scots shuid be gien a heicher staunin an he wis howpin the new pairliament wad tak in haund the spunkin up o oor twa hamelt leids, forbye makin guid uiss o the leids thirsels. He threapit an aa that Scots shuid be gien the same fundin as Gaelic baith in siller an in kind, eikin that £9m a year wis smaa chynge in compare wi whit the Government spends tae fund English language ongauns in Scotland. Oor guid freend Dauvit Horsbroch haed a guid word or twa tae say on the program an man, it wis richt guid tae hear a bodie uphaudin the Scots leid on the tellie an tellin it aa in his ain guid Scots – juist the wey it shuid be. He howped that the new pairliament wad alloo, an e'en gie a lift tae, MSP's tae uise Scots in the chaumer an for screivit writs o the ongauns tae be in Scots an aa an no juist in English. Forbye thon, he threapit that the pairliament shuid mak a mair eydent maucht tae uphaud the learnin o Scots tae the bairns in the schuils alang wi the speakin o it. The BBC reporter cuid hae duin wi the guid o sic a schuil an aiblins, he wadna than hae kep on speakin o Scots an the Doric as if thay war twa saiparit leids. Aabodie kens fine that the Doric is juist a local name for the nor-aist byleid o Scots. Gin the Press an Journal's heidline anent thae wittins o the Doric Festival can read, "Scots tongue in call for cash", the'r nae reason at aa whit wey aabodie else canna git it richt an aa. Up till nou, the Scots language haes aye been the cou's tail whaur government heeze in siller an kind is concerned. A new Scottish pairliament micht juist be the dab for dalin oot justice an equality tae aa three o this kintra's languages – it micht be, as lang's we dinna stap girnin in its lugs. ~~~ooo~~~ Havers!!! "Ye shuidna listen tae me for A tell lees." "Fine A ken ye tell lees an, whit's mair, aa thae lees ye tell's no true!" ~~~ooo~~~ Creative Scotland. The case for a National Cultural Strategy. THE abuin paper wis commissioned bi the National Cultural Agencies an C.O.S.L.A. The National Cultural Agencies is, Scottish Airts Cooncil, Scottish Screen, Scottish Library Associe an the Scottish Museums Cooncil. Seein as hou the foondin o the Scottish Pairliament is a cultural act that ettles tae tak tent o the sindrie lik particularities o Scots identity, values an creativity, the paper ettles tae shaw the'r a necessar cultural meisure tae ilka cast o Government ongauns. Tho language in genral an Scots in parteeclar haes scant mint in the paper, it daes hae the follaein tae say anent the Scots leid (in English a coorse):- The swall o intrest in the uiss o Scots an Gaelic in leeteratur, film, theatre, festivals an ilka-day life rins alangside o the new croose wey o leukin at the respective communities, an is backed up wi a growthie thochtie-ness for local byleids. A coorse, the'r no juist the ae Scotland but monie. The by-ordinar particularities o fowks frae different airts – whuther meisured bi airt, intrest or expairience – is shawn juist in cultural weys, bi wey o art, language an tradition. For exemplar, the Scots language is spoken bi 1.5m fowk an maist o the lave unnerstauns an uises some, includin idioms an speakin haunts, ilka day. 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/ Fit Like in Fitbaa? AE new maimber, Dave Wilson frae Pitmedden, gies wittins taen frae ane o Aiberdeen's kenspeckle sports papers cried Green Final. Tho screivit in English, it cracks on anent Stuart McCaffrey, a fitbaa player that wis transposed frae Easter Road tae Pittodrie this simmer, an aa the fash he's been haein lairnin tae unnerstaun the nor-aist byleid (the Doric). Dave howps he's a sicht better at takin up the Doric nor he haes been this faur wi his fitbaa at Aiberdeen. ~~~ooo~~~ Craig daes it agane!! ANITHER o the Scottish Office's wee beukies haes been owerset intae Scots bi Craig Halliday. This time it's the ane anent Bogus Callers an gin oniebodie wis ettlin efter a copie, the backin tae screive tae is:- The Scottish Office Crime Prevention Unit, R 1.3, Saughton House, Broomhouse Drive, Edinburgh, EH11 3XD. ~~~ooo~~~ Scots Language Menus. SUSAN Rennie o the SNDA haes juist fendit Scots language menus tae the Suruchi Indian Restaurant in Nicholson Street, Auld Reekie. The SNDA wis weel spoken aboot at a spaicial ongaun, tae handsel the new menu an tae haud the Hindu festival o Diwali, on the 21t. Oct. Jim Gilchrist, in the Scotsman, gied a guid accoont o thae ongauns wi a hertie helpin o Scots in his screive. He quotit the follaein wee bits oot the menu :- Jalfrezie – Smeddum on a plate! Chicken cubes wi fresh green chillies, green pepper an caller coriander, tappit wi a daud o ginger. Papdi chaat – A crumpie mix o tatties, soor dook an crispy pooris. Kumbhi narial – A douce, reamie dish fae the fithills o the Himalayas. "Scots an Sanskrit gang weel thegither." he says. He gauns on tae tell o anither place an anither time whan a waiter gied him a moothit bode o a couple o nice lum-heid dozers for his denner. That's doos that doze on the lum-heids. Aiblins menus micht weel gie a guid inlat for wir monie owersetters, parteeclar wi the growthie swall o intrest in aa things cultural in thae pre-Holyrood days. Monie eateries is turnin tae uisin Scots menus areddies an the'r ae kenspeckle pub/restaurant, the Cross Keys, in Denholm doun in the Scottish mairches, that haes a muckle bleck-board menu on the waa that raxes frae the flair tae the ruif an aa screivit in Scots. The Pan-fried Steak an Ingans is ower guid tae be missed. Neist Forgaitherin. Mon. 9t. Nov. 1998 7.30pm tae 9.00pm Comatee Rm. C. Brunton Haa, Musselburgh, ~~~ooo~~~ Wheels, Yule cairds an new Scots mag. [NOTE: a wheelchair sign here in original] THE Hairst edeetion o the Scottish Fund For The Disabled's news blat Wheels taks on its new format, bein aa in English an priced at £2. The split new Scots language magazine cried Scots For Scots (aicht A5 pages tae stert wi) is priced at £2 but baith Wheels an Scots For Scots can be coffed thegither for £3. Scots For Scots, that comes oot ilka quarter, can be subscreived tae on its lane for £10 ilka towmond (incl. postage), an aa the profits will gaun tae the abuin charity. The Scots text for the magazine is bein taen frae Scots Tung Wittins an frae ither airts an aa. It is aither bein owerset intae Scots, sic as Yer Starns, the Scots receipt an the Scots word leets, or bein editit, bi Scots Tung. Wark on a set o fower Yule cairds is gaun braw weel an thay shuid be weel tae haund or the time this edeetion o the Scots Tung Wittins is oot. The picters an airt-wark is bein duin bi the Scottish Fund For The Disabled an aa the Scots texts is bein fendit or editit bi Scots Tung. Twa o the cairds is in the furm o a bleck an white cartoon wi the twa craws frae Corbie Close an a picter o ane is shawn ablo; the ither twa haes nocht but text on the foreside but duin in gey fantoosh calligraphy. The Post-maister o Stoneybank Post Office, Musselburgh, haes been haein his lugs dingit wi fowk speirin efter Scots Yule cairds for this year an we'v haed tae fend him wi a puckle pokes o oor auld anes tae dae the turn or oor new anes comes tae haund. The'r a guid chance the twa craws frae Corbie Close will be gien a raigler oot-come in the Scots For Scots magazine an aa. [NOTE: a black and white cartoon here in original] Oniebodie ettlin efter a copie o Wheels (£2), or Scots For Scots (£2), or baith thegither for (£3) shuid contack the abuin Scottish Fund For The Disabled at [CENSORED: postaladdress]. or ring [CENSORED: phonenumber]. ~~~ooo~~~ CannieSpell haes a richt guid gaun Hamecomin. HE SNDA's new spellin saft-weir, CannieSpell, haed a richt guid set-aff on Wadensday 21t. October. It wis aa weel spoken aboot in the papers, the wireless an the tellie an we hear tell thare wis a muckle breenge o orders frae aa the airts. CannieSpell isna meant tae come the high heid-ane ower the wey Scots words shuid aye be spelt, but raither tae shaw the maist aften uised an faur kent weys o spellin Scots words the day. The word-leet o mair nor 20,000 Scots words is foondit on the Scots Schuil Dictionar (1996) an on the SNDA's new database o modren Scots, an reflecks aa that's gaun on wi the Scots language thae days. Forbye giein yer word-sorter the pouer tae pynt oot onie spellin mistaks, CannieSpell gies it the inlat tae check verb plurals an tenses an it gies some guid wice on Scots gremmar an aa. The saft-weir comes as fower floppy disks alang wi a uiser beukie for uiss in a PC rinnin on Windows 95 or 98 (Mac vairsion tae come). It can be coffed for £15 frae :- Scottish National Dictionary Association, 27, George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9LD. Ph/fax: [CENSORED: phonenumber] email: [CENSORED: emailaddress] wab-steid: http://www.snda.org.uk ~~~ooo~~~ Oor Heirskip o Leids in Euraip. THE abuin is the Ulster Scots chyce o nem for the forgaitherin held in Belfast last month unner the owerance o the Europeans Buroo for Lesser Uised Leids (EBLUL) as pairt o the language/cultural side o the Peace an Reconciliation process in Ulster. Whan speirt on the wireless if Ulster Scots wis a byleid o Scots or a leid on its ain, John McIntyre, a preses for Ulster Scots, sayed that the'r nae doot it's a byleid o Scots an it cam frae Sooth-wast Scotland in the seeventeen century, but wi it bein sae sindert frae mainland Scotland, it haes taen on a wheen o Irish Gaelic words. He eikit tho that this haesna been juist a ae wey tred an gied the exemplar o crack, a word maist fowks see as Irish but in fack, it's' a word that wis taen intae Irish Gaelic frae Scots bi wey o its contack wi Ulster Scots. It's a word that haes aye kythed in oor ain Scots dictionars. Stuart McHardy wis thare tae speak up for the SLRC an the Scots language an tae gie thaim the guid o the Scots leid expairience this side o The Sheuch. Stuart says he wis gey transportit an heizit up wi the wey aathin went an the hail souch o the forgaitherin wis richt hertsome frae aa the communities. Dónall Ó Riagáin, Secretar-General o EBLUL, thocht thair wis muckle scowth for ongauns tae develop an work tae uphaud baith the Irish an Ulster Scots leids throu the Cooncil o Europe. Thair wis aye the mibbie o siller comin tae haund tae uphaud sic ongauns. ~~~ooo~~~ [NOTE: a black and white cartoon here in original] Shuirlie the'r rowth o guid Scots Nems for uiss in Scots Touns an Airts? A raicent letter in the Scotsman, tho screivit in English, threapit on anent the follaein :- Lothian Road in Edinburgh haes a "Clydesdale Bank Plaza", an forbye that, the'r an "Ocean Drive" an "Ocean Apartments" kythed in Leith. Sic words, as plain as parritch, taen frae American cultur, daes nocht but tak awa frae wir ain Scots cultur. Whan Americans comes here, thay aye howp tae see rael Scots cultur an no juist an unco puir copie o thair ain................................... We hae tae awn thae's aa guid consaits an wir convener, Richard Heinsar, haes been haein thochts on this maitter for some guid lang while nou. He's been screivin a leet o Scots street an place nems for sendin tae Plannin Authorities an Community Cooncils. Some exemplars o the anes he haes tae haund is leetit ablo but he wad walcome onie ithers that oor readers micht come up wi sae, gin ye hae onie no leetit here, Richard wad be weel pleesured gin ye cuid sen thaim on tae him at :- [CENSORED: postaladdress]. Brig, Pend, Dyke(s), Vennel, Wynd, Gate/Gait, Causey, Loan(ing), Haugh, Biggin(s), Close, Court, Brae, Rigg(s), Crag(s)/Craig(s), Port, Neuk, Knowe(s), Howe(s), Mercat, Glebe, Manse, Land, Toll, Byre(s), Mains, Smiddy, Wey, Park, Raw. Makar's Neuk Ae weet forenicht i the yow-trummle I saw yon antrin thing, A watergaw wi its chitterin licht Ayont the on-ding; An I thocht o the last wild look ye gied Afore ye deed! Hugh MacDairmid. This work is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. The SCOTS Project and the University of Glasgow do not necessarily endorse, support or recommend the views expressed in this document. Information about document and author: Text Text audience Audience size: N/A Text details Method of composition: N/A Word count: 2295 General description: monthly newsletter Text medium Leaflet/brochure (prospectus): Text publication details Published: Publisher: Scots Tung Publication year: 1998 Part of a longer series of texts: Name of series: Scots Tung Wittins Text type Article: Prose: nonfiction: Other: mixed text type Author Author details Author id: 95 Forenames: Robert Surname: Fairnie Gender: Male Decade of birth: 1930 Educational attainment: College Age left school: 16 Upbringing/religious beliefs: Protestantism Occupation: Consultant Marine Structural Engineer (Retired) Place of birth: Musselburgh Region of birth: Midlothian Birthplace CSD dialect area: midLoth Country of birth: Scotland Place of residence: Musselburgh Region of residence: Midlothian Residence CSD dialect area: midLoth Country of residence: Scotland Father's occupation: Fisherman Father's place of birth: Musselburgh Father's region of birth: Midlothian Father's birthplace CSD dialect area: midLoth Father's country of birth: Scotland Mother's occupation: Fishwife Mother's place of birth: Musselburgh Mother's region of birth: Midlothian Mother's birthplace CSD dialect area: midLoth Mother's country of birth: Scotland Languages: Language: English Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: At work Language: German Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: In Germany to communicate with two grandsons Language: Scots Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: Wherever Scots is understood