SCOTS Project - www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk Document : 1734 Title : Scots Tung Wittins 83 Author(s): Robert Fairnie Copyright holder(s): Name withheld Text Nummer 83 Oct. 2000 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-screive: [CENSORED: emailaddress] [CENSORED: phonenumber] BUT N BEN A-GO-GO. [NOTE: a photograph here of Matthew Fitt in original] BI aw accoonts, Matthew Fitt haes stertit the Scots language alang the gate tae the stars an lowpit throu time itsel wi't. The verra first sci-fi novel tae be screivit aw in Scots wis weel hanselt at Auld Reekie's Internaitional Buik Festival an haes gart a wheen guid forderance in maist o the Scots press an e'en a mint in The Times. Carl MacDougall scr eivin in the Herald in Scots, gauns on a bit aboot the buik's innin bein screivit in English an says, "Are we the onlie fowk in the warld wha need an introduction tellin us hoo tae read a book that's supposed tae've been screivit in oor ain tongue?" Efter thon tho, he haes nocht but guid tae say, the likes o:- "No onlie is this an inventive an a whittery tale which brawly serves its linguistic subtext, it could yet become a matrix fur a new generation o screivers wha could dae waur nor yase it tae gie thir wark birky an inventive dimensions.......... This is a novel in the Kidnapped mould, whaur a lad gangs aff on a journey wha's outcome an consequences arenae kent an cannae be jaloused at the beginnin." The follaein is a wee bittie taen frae the first chapter cried, "Sair Heid City". Nadia MacIntyre lay stane still inside her Omega Kist. Her body wis happed tae the chin in funereal white an smoored unner an inhuman wab o IV an colostomy tubes. Her visible skin wis as peeliewally as papyrus an her kenmerk taigled blonde hair kaimed oot in a trig coiffure on the faem pillae ahint her heid. She appeared snod in her peacefu berth but her facial muscles, contortit by municipal beauticians intae an expression o glaikit serenity, couldna mask the untholeable agony in ben. BUT N BEN A-GO-GO bi Matthew Fitt, is furthset bi Luath Press £10.99, ISBN 0946487820, an can be bocht forbye frae James Thin, ower the www wi a wee bittie eikit on for p&p at www.jamesthin.co.uk Gin ye dinna hae the siller, whit for no speir yer local library an, gin they dinna hae it in speir thaim tae order a copie for ye? Whit for no dae the same e'en gin ye dae hae the siller? The Neist Forgaitherin Monday 2t. October 7.30pm tae 9.00pm Comatee Rm. C. Brunton Ha, Musselburgh. Scots Pairlament haes a crack anent Scots an Gaelic. ON 6t. September, the Scots pairlament haed a debate anent the follaein motion pit tae the pairlament bi Irene McGugan MSP. "At the Pairliament taks tent at twa thoosant an ane is ti be the European Year o Leids; taks tent at siller fae the European Union wull rax the lenth o projecks for regional an minoritie leids at Memmer States allous as eligible; asks the Scottish Executive ti mak representations on behauf o Scots and Gaelic, til Her Maijestie's Guivernment for ti mak shuir at Scotland's hame leids is proponed for inculsion, an trowes at the Executive shuid gie a heize ti baith leids as pairt o the European Year o Leids." Efter speirin uphaud frae the Scottish Executive for the Scots an Gaelic leids durin the EYL neist year, Irene gaed on tae pint oot the monie wants o the Scots language in general an socht positive S.E. uphaud tae gie the leid some o the respectabeelitie it haed tint ower the years. She said that public signage in Scots an recogneetion o Scots as an offeecial leid alang wi English an Gaelic wad be a muckle heize, then spent nae sma time gaun ower aw the wants the S.E. shuid gie a positive heize tae in Scottish eddication. Speakin in Scots she feinisht wi, "It fair behoves us ane an aw tae gie muckle steer tae this Pairlament tae mak shair baith oor hame leids are gien a heize in the year o the Leids 2001." George Reid, the Depute Presiding Officer, said, "That wis a braw wee speech, Maistress McGugan, an we wish ye weel as the newly eleckit preses o the Scots Leid Associe." The motion wis awfu weel uphaudit bi MSP's frae aw the main fower pairties an the Depute Meenister for Gaelic Alasdair Morrison, speakin in Gaelic, said that baith leids wad hae the uphaud o the Scottish Executive ower the European Year o the Languages, athoot giein awa onie particularities. Efter threapin the debate wis feinisht in Gaelic, George Reid said, "That feinishes oor debate. Ah noo close this meeting o the Pairliament." Coorse his Gaelic threap wis owerset intae English throu the heid phones sae he didna hae tae say it in English. Efter aw the heidie pints that wis pit ower in the debate, the ae thing the press got peened on tae wis "road signs in Scots". Whit a stushie thon steered up in aw the papers an e'en the wireless an aw but we'll no gaun intae aw the glaikit raisons that wis pit forrit tae conter sic a norrie - raisons that reenged frae, "we wadna ken hou tae spell a glottal stop" tae "fremmit tourists wadna unnerstaun thaim". As the stushie gaithert wecht, the follaein kythed abuin the banner o The Times on 14t September whan a nummer o letters wis prentit anent the quaisten o Scots language signage, includin ane screivit in Scots. The eemage is ower wee tae read whit's screivit abuin THE TIMES sae here an owerscreivit copie. [NOTE: image here of The Times headline in original] Letters on the folk wha are gettin fashed at the thocht o Scots language signs bein pit up – page 19 ~~~ooo~~~ E.C. Bodes Siller For Minority Leids. WITTINS frae Eurolang tells o the European Commission's deceesion tae speir minority language curns athort Europe (sic as Scots) tae seek grants o siller. €2.5m is bein fendit bi the Commission's depairtment wi owerance for Eddication an Cultur for ploys that hae tae dae wi complouterin atween the fowk o different minority leids. Grants atween €50,000 an €150,000 wad be fendit tae selectit ploys, that cuid hae tae dae wi language resources sic as dictionars, the biggin up o learnin skeels or campaines tae forder leids. Ploys that hae tae dae wi the biggin up o minority leids in the mercats, an thair kythin in the media an in cultural ongauns, will be conseedered an aw. The Commission threaps a clear "European Dimension" is necessar for ilka projeck, tho nae formal pairtnerie atween the sindert curns is necessar. Siller for projecks aw haes tae be speirt for afore 6t.Nov. 2000. The abuin siller frae the E.C. is ower an abuin whit's bein pit forrit for the European Year o the Leids. ~~~ooo~~~ Wittins Kythes in Lothian Libraries. THE library heidquarters o East Lothian, Midlothian an West Lothian haes been pitten on tae wir distreebution leet for a free copie o the Scots Tung Wittins. Aw three o thae heidquarters haes greed tae rin aff copies for sendin oot tae aw the libraries ilka ane haes owerance for. Ilka heidquarters haes been gien an A4 notice an aw, wi the appropriate coonty logo on it, that says, "Fair fa ye tae yer Library – Come awa ben an see whit we hae." The ane shawn abuin haes the Midlothian logo on it. [NOTE: image here of the logo in original] ~~~ooo~~~ Are Ye Gled Tae Be In The Coont? WE unnerstaun whan the new Census comes oot neist year (2001), ye ken, thon ane that daesna want tae ken if we speak Scots or no but daes want tae ken if we speak Gaelic, Urdu, Bengali, Mandarin an that. Weel as ye ken, the pouer tae chuise whit quaistens is speirt in it is devolved in Scotland but it's no in Wales. Appearinlie, the Scottish Pairlament haes threapit on the richt for fowk tae pit doon gin they're Scots or no raither nor be coontit as British. On the ither haund, wir Welsh feres haes tae dae whit London tells thaim on that maitter an, tho the'r boxes tae tick gin ye'r frae an ethnic minority, the'r naethin gin ye want tae be coontit as Welsh raither nor British. The best the government can come up wi is tae tell thaim tae tick the box merked "Other" an screive "Welsh" alangside it. Nae need tae tell ye whit the oreeginal Britons thinks o thon. ~~~ooo~~~ Fit Like wi Shunkies, Schuil Busses an the Doric? IT'S shuirlie a gey sair fecht whan the landwart airts o the ile capital o Europe, Aiberdeenshire, is sae sair in want o siller that it haes tae shut doon 69 public cludgies, dae awa wi its free bus sairvice tae bairns bidin mair nor three mile frae thair schuil an stert tae chairge thae bairns 40p tae git a hurl tae the schuil. Gin aw thon's no bad eneuch, oot comes the Cooncil's Eddication an Recreation Grants Sub-comatee Convener wi a £3,800 bank line in ae haund tae gie tae the annual Doric Festival sae they can celebrate an forder thair ain nor-aist byleid o Scots an cultur for anither year, an at the same time, steekin oot twa fingers wi the ither haund. The fingers says that the Festival shuid mak the maist o this year's siller for the'll be nae mair neist year nor onie ither year for that maitter. Haes the herts an harns o this Sub-comatee aw gaed doon the cludgie (afore they war shut doon like)? A guid lot haes been screivit in Rhona Brankin's raicentlie furthset National Cultural Strategy athoot gittin roond tae sayin oniethin. Nae doot the cost o furthsettin thon muckle buik wad hae kep the Doric Festival gaun for a guid year or twa. Naebodie can na-say the cultural wirth o the Doric Festival tae the fowk o Aiberdeenshire an tae the lave o Scotland forbye an nae Scottish politeecian shuid be allooed tae lat sic a kenspeckle cultural festival dwine awa an dee. Freends o the leid that haes the lug o the Meenister, haes lat it be kent that she wad walcome ideas an weel workit oot an costit plans for uphaudin the Scots language. Organizers o the Doric Festival shuid tak her at her word an pit forrit the case for neist year's festival. Lat the Scottish Executive pit its siller whaur its mooth is for a chynge. The European Year o the Leids (2001) cuid be anither possibeelitie. 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. Scots Tung WITTINS on the wab. The Scots Tung Wittins can be vizzied or doon-loadit an prentit (noo in HTML format forbye) frae the wab-steid o :- The Scots Speikers Curn, Glesca. Wab-steid backin :- http://www.mlove.free-online.co.uk/ A hard copie o STW is sent free o chairge tae aw maimbers o Scots Tung. Maimbership subscreivins is £5 peyed ilka September. (£6 furth o United Kinrik) Iberian Buik Tred. IT wis reportit in Eurolang, EBLUL's wittins wabsteid, that a raicent survey o buiks selt in Spain shaws that 41% o the anes selt in Catalonia is aw screivit in the Catalan leid. Thon wad appear tae be a braw stieve an growthie percentage for a minority leid but we hiv tae mind that, in Catalonia, the Catalan leid is an offeecial language an haes a muckle sicht mair staunin nor Scots or e'en Gaelic haes in Scotland. For aw that, it wad be fell intrestin tae fin oot, gin thon wis possible, whit wis the sindert percentage o Scots buiks an the same for Gaelic buiks selt in Scotland. The percentage for Scots wad nae doot be a sicht wee'er nor 41%, takin in aw the dictionars, poetry, prose, fiction, fack, comics an schuil buiks an that. We manna forget tho that the likes o the Oor Wullie buik haes aft been a best seller in the buik shops o Auld Reekie monies a Yuletide. Whit a peetie Harry Potter haesna been owerset intae Scots – yet. ~~~ooo~~~ A Letter Frae Americae. OCH Bob - Ah'll niver forgit ma mither tung - it's jist, o'er here, ye ken, ye've goatae talk usin Anglo words, cos ye git awfie fed up repeatin yersel, ken? Cept, Ah'm jist no alwiz polite aboot talkin tae thon Yanks. (They ask if Ah'm english - bluidy cheeky little b...... ) Och weel, maist o the time they cannae tell if Ah'm bein nice or swearin at them, ye ken? Hope ye dinnae min Bob, but Ah've taen the liberty o tellin aw ma Scottish pals aboot yer braw wee site. (he means the wabsteid o The Scots Speikers' Curn, Glesca.) Noo, if we could only get thae yanks tae talk proper like us yins! Wi couthie thochts tae ye aw o'er there in the honest toun, frae bonnie Nevada. Scottie ~~~ooo~~~ The Scots Language, its place in education. HIS buik, editit bi Liz Niven an Robin Jackson, an wi seeventeen kenspeckle contreebuters, still haes a leemitit nummer o copies tae haund that can be bocht frae:- Scottish Book Source 137, Dundee Street Edinburgh EH11 1BG ISBN 0 952 9978 51 Price - £11.95 ~~~ooo~~~ Yule Cairds 2000. THE twa new Yule cairds for this incomin Christmas an New Year is noo tae haund an shuid be rife for raxin ower tae maimbers at wir forgaitherin at the Brunton Ha, Musselburgh on Mon. 2t. Oct at 7.30pm. Prices – A5 60p, A6 40p. Maimbers ootby [CENSORED: phonenumber] Makars' Neuk Ye wha are fain to hae your name Wrote in the bonny book o fame, Let merit nae pretension claim To laurel'd wreath, But hap ye weel, baith back and wame, In gude Braid Claith. Robert Fergusson (1750-74) 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: 2399 General description: monthly newsletter Text medium Leaflet/brochure (prospectus): Text publication details Published: Publisher: Scots Tung Publication year: 2000 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