Scots Language

[auld argonian]

there wuz twa shows oan telly (BBC Scotland 2) in Gaidhlig last nicht...

wi' English subtitles.... it wuz quite fun tae watch an listen....

The bar that I usually stop in is frequented by a whole gaggle of Irish transplants to the USA...and when these guys start talking (especially after they've downed a couple) they should only come with subtitles! You can catch maybe every fourth word they say...and when they see the look of confusion on your face, they speed up. It'd be great to have subtitles in white letters hanging in the air in front of them...a couple more drinks and I should be able to see the subtitles...

Best

AA

[Pour1Malt]

The bar that I usually stop in is frequented by a whole gaggle of Irish transplants to the USA...and when these guys start talking (especially after they've downed a couple) they should only come with subtitles! You can catch maybe every fourth word they say...and when they see the look of confusion on your face, they speed up. It'd be great to have subtitles in white letters hanging in the air in front of them...a couple more drinks and I should be able to see the subtitles...

Best

AA

aye... they's a lot o people whit need subtitles when they's blootered...

[Shay]

Eh, figured a PM would be better...

[Archangel]

I'm confused. I thought is was a simple "north/south" thing: the "North" (Highlands) spoke Gaelic (a Celtic language, like Welsh and Irish) and the "South" (lowlands) spoke Scots (a Germanic langauge, like English and Dutch). Seems like "Scots," because it's not too far off from English gets lumped in with English and the Gaelic has become the "2nd langauge."

Now, is it simply of a matter of geography where one can find Gaelic and Scots and where does Gaidhlig come it?

The thing is to picture Scotland diagonally. Look at the map and join the rifts on each coast. There's sort of three diagonal sections. As a rough rule, the first level, takes in the border countries, has a milder accent and more English. The second diagonal has stronger accents and more Gaelic, this is what Oor Wullie and others (oor p1m) are trying to describe when they write funny/quaint/cute/authentic/whatever. The top diagonal is very thick accent and little English. The islands are even less English, darn close to Pagan (ha).

It's a rough guide, don't make too much of it, the thing is not to be thinking of North and South. For each of these diagonals, there were few crossings so each area developed its own culture. The divisions are basically gone in the past century.

[Pour1Malt]

guid points Archangel!

In this part o Scotland people spek a combination of chree languages; Scots, Gaelic, an English... (no much Gaelic though)

It is quite a braw experience tae bae in an area thot daes this an, as I posted this mornin oan the DO/Don't threid,

this area also haes a prood tradition o writin' in Scots language...

ya see Scots oan adverts, flyers an a' sorts o things...

Robert Burns made a guid livin' writin in Scots, here in Dumfries, an Doonhamers (people fraim Dumfries) arr prood tae carry oan thot tradition...

cheers!

[Pour1Malt]

here is a wee Scots poem fur ya!

Born at Dalry in Ayrshire, Wingate (1865-1918) worked as a mathematics teacher in Hamilton and published his verse in numerous newspapers.

Sair Finger By Walter Wingate
________________

You’ve hurt your finger? Puir wee man!

Your pinkie? Deary me!

Noo, juist you haud it that wey till

I get my specs and see!



My, so it is – and there’s the skelf!

Noo, dinna greet nae mair.

See there – my needle’s gotten’t out!

I’m sure that wasna sair?



And noo, to make it hale the morn.

Put on a wee bit saw.

And tie a bonnie hankie roun’t –

Noo, there na – rin awa’!



Your finger sair ana’? Ye rogue.

Ye’re only letting on!

Weel, weel, then – see noo, there ye are.

Row’d up the same as John.

[Moose McLennan]

One I always liked:

Q: What's the difference between Bing Crosby and Walt Disney?

A. Bing sings, Walt disnae.



Cheers
M.

[Pour1Malt]

One I always liked:

Q: What's the difference between Bing Crosby and Walt Disney?

A. Bing sings, Walt disnae.



Cheers
M.

my partner Emma & her sister say thot yin a' the time... a guid auld standby!

[Moose McLennan]

my partner Emma & her sister say thot yin a' the time... a guid auld standby!

Aye, it's "gie an auld joke a home week" awright...

:-)

M.

[Moose McLennan]

Ye were lucky no tae get skelped wi the belt fir speakin Scots whin ah wis at school, an that wisnae sae lang ago. Ma parents widnae stand for it either. Funny thing was, ah wis alood to take part in a "Scots reading contest" frae the Borders schools when ah wis aboot ten. Aw very official wi expert jurors an a' that - talk aboot yon double standards!

Ah think the old assumption wis, if ye spoke like that it wuid lead tae bad habits an folk thinkin ye wir uneducated. Havers! Ah ken plenty o folk here in Germany whae speak thir ain language an dinnae huv any problems switchin. At least the word has goat aroond in the meantime. Jist such a shame that sae many braw words an turns o phrase huv been lost... (as ye can see in ma "pidgin-Scots" post LOL).

Mind we werenae taught hoo tae write Scots either, which is mibbe why ma writin looks a wee bit daft (it isnae really "proper" Scots, ah'm jist daen it frae memory - ah hope it disnae jar wi too many readers), but it's fun tae read and write, and ye shouldnae be feart o tryin it oot on yir ain. It wid be cool tae have a wee blether wi a few of youse.

Jist wan mair thing - ah dinnae think it's condescending tae speak or write Scots even if it's no yer "native" language - it isnae mine either, that wuid be English. Apart frae that ah've been oot o the country sae long ah dinnae really even have a Scots accent anymore, but ah could aye turn it oan if ah hudtae!

Cheers
M.

p.s. guid links thair P1M