In English please?

**McMurdo** · 22nd August 07, 06:20 AM

This does come up from time to time, however I think that as we owe most everything that we know of kilt wearing to Scotland, we should also respect those members of this forum who speak Scots to use it here as they see fit whether it be phonetic or not.
Really it does not take long to get used to it, and I think this place would suffer if those who use Scots were to stop.

Below is a snippet from the Scots Language Centre I did use the translate to English button, as you can see below Scots is a recognized language.

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At present Scots is primarily a spoken language, with a number of regional varieties, each with a distinctive character of its own, and is heard widely in most parts of the country. Scots use a mixture of Scots and English in their speech, with some using mostly Scots and others mostly English. In this sense the language exists as part of a continuum with Scottish Standard English. You can hear people speaking Scots and using Scots words in most parts of Scotland. People have a strong emotional attachment to the language and often feel most comfortable using it amongst their friends and family.

After centuries of neglect and indeed opposition, Scots is now much more widely appreciated as an important part of Scottish culture. It has been recognised as a language under the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages and there is an increasing awareness of its cultural and social value. In recent years there has been an explosion of writing in Scots, some of it in the writer's own distinctive dialect, and new technology has provided opportunities for Scots speakers to express themselves in their own language.

**Tattoo Bradley** · 22nd August 07, 06:37 AM

I think it's a real pity that this his been made into a full thread. As stated earlier, if you don't like it or refuse to understand it (come on, as a multi-linguist, you KNOW it's not that hard) then simply skip over it. Easy enough.

**cavscout** · 22nd August 07, 06:51 AM

All Jokes aside,

I don't believe there is any harm being done by having posts with a kilt related language in them. The opportunity to read and learn about the language that is a corner stone of something that most of us deeply value seldom comes around so we should be more appreciative of the chance. This is a important topic to me for my passion for Cherokee, another endangered language.

As Mike said, this is a major issue in Scottish schools today. To require a translation of any Scots post is a form of suppression. It is saying that you cannot post in Scots unless you post in English, or Farsee or Kenyan. And the next logical step is to say it's not neccessary to post in Scots at all because we're already posting in English. All of a sudden one more bit of Scots is snuffed out.

These posts aren't traffic signs or safety signs, they are for the social opportunity to share each of our experiences and personalities. Mikes offered an effective solution, though I believe to ignore P1M's posts would be missing out on some incredible opportunities to see and read some fascinating things from his perspective.

**Phil** · 22nd August 07, 07:03 AM

I worked for a while for an American company here and got used to the blank looks when I used a word or saying in Scots so I understand the problem. The trouble is many of us were brought up at home and at school using Scots and tend to come out with it without thinking because in many cases we find it describes something very succinctly and in a way that is instantly recognisable. "Slitter" is a case in point, you are eating your meal and haven't noticed that you have spilt gravy all down your front. In Scots we would say "you've slitterd" whereas in English you would probably say "you've spilled something all down yourself". Likewise you might call a child "a wee slitter" because it had made a complete mess of itself eating it's food.
Here is a post I made here a wee while back (a little while ago) not meant for general consumption. I have translated - And what's with the "old" and you frae(from) Glesga(Glasgow) too? I slittered a(all) doon(down) masel(myself) when I heard that yin(one). But dinnae(don't) fash(worry) yersel(yourself), efter(after) I plootered(paddled) through the glaur(sticky mess or mud) I fun(found) a cloot(cloth) an slarried(spread messily) it a(all) ower(over) the keyboard. Noo(now) it's a(all) clarty(dirty,messy) but nivver(never) mine(mind). Some is just reproducing english words in a Glasgow accent whereas some are distinctive Scots words - slitterd,fash,plootered,glaur,cloot,slarried,clart y. The language is supposed to have its origins in Anglo Saxon and spread northwards replacing Gaelic after the Norman conquest. As a Germanic language it has some words such as "snell" in common.
If there are any you don't understand just ask as I know everyone will be only too happy to help out.

**wsk** · 22nd August 07, 07:35 AM

If there are any you don't understand just ask as I know everyone will be only too happy to help out.

And that is part of what makes this a place of conversation. Questions are the tools we use to fill in the chinks and crannies (and great, gaping holes) in our knowledge.

Uniformity is pleasing to the military mind - been there, done that. Here where we are kilties, we are not uniform and our habbits and our voices reflect that non-uniformity. Hurray for that, I say.

**pdcorlis** · 22nd August 07, 07:39 AM

I love reading Scots language posts - heck my feeble old mind needs all the exercise it can get!

**macwilkin** · 22nd August 07, 07:54 AM

Oh, dear...will we have to translate Robert Burns into English then?

Seriously, I think cavscout raised a very good point about forced assimilation in school regarding the use of vernacular languages. Like cavscout's interest in Cherokee, I am very interested in my wife's Cajun heritage, and for years in Louisiana Cajun children were not allowed to speak French in school for fear of a beating by the teacher.

Now, I'm not trying to start a political discussion, but cavscout's post did remind me of that and the fact that Robert Burns saw the preservation of the Scots tounge through songs, poems, etc. as a way to preserve a nation.

We had a fellow here in the Missouri Ozarks who did a similar thing -- folklorist Vance Randolph. Without his monumental efforts -- 40 years of collecting stories, jokes, songs, superstitions -- the only Ozarks culture today would be the very artificial one enshrined in...shudder...Branson.

Todd

**davedove** · 22nd August 07, 08:01 AM

Originally Posted by cajunscot

the only Ozarks culture today would be the very artificial one enshrined in...shudder...Branson.

What??? You mean what I saw at Branson and Silver Dollar City isn't the real Ozark culture? I suppose next you're going to tell me that Renaissance Faires aren't historically accurate.?

Disclaimer: I grew up in southern Illinois, so I've been to the Ozarks many times. In fact, when I visited Branson it was before the build up and was still a small town with just a couple of local motels for those going to the recently built Silver Dollar City. And I know all about Renn Faires that somehow have Robin Hood, King Arthur and Queen Elizabeth all interacting???

**cacunn** · 22nd August 07, 08:04 AM

If we carry this one step further, we should also be concerned with the multible dialects of American English used. There are often words or statements made in using a local idea or word that does not translate through out the entire United States much less around the world.

I think it would be helpful if we are considerate of everyone on this forum and when we use local terminology we provide an explaination to others on the forum.