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Paul
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Topic: The Scottish Language Posted: 19-Aug-2006 at 08:47 |
One thing that has always fascinated me is the lack of knowledge by most people of the existence of the Scottish Language. And that as English speakers most of us could become quickly fluent in it. Scottish being closer to English than Spanish to Italian, German to Dutch or Czech to Polish.
History
The variety of middle English spoken in the lowlands of Scotland and North of England had always been dialactically different from that spoken in the south; a Latinised version of Northumbrian and heavily influenced by Norse. The Scottish language emerged as a unique tongue in the middle ages when middle English split in two directions; Modern English and Scottish and has remained and developed uniquely since.
Sample Liturature,
Ma auld buits, ma auld buits,
Ye're a' wrang thegither,
Ma heels are doon, ma taes are oot,
Speirin' o' the weather.
We're auld frien's, we're auld frien's,
And mony a mile we've trampit,
Through simmer's stour and winter's snaw -
Nae wunner ye're disjaskit.
But wae's me, O wae's me,
The thocht maist gars me greet,
Ye hae nae mair the poor to fend
Me frae the stour and weet.
I' m rale laith, I'm rale laith,
To pairt frae ye ava,
It seems like leavin' human things
A' beildless in the snaw.
I'm awfu' sad, I'm awfu' sad,
But aff ye'll hae to gang,
I'll mak' mair speed wi'oot ye noo,
And I maun haste alang.
But deep doon, aye deep doon,
I'll put ye in the mools,
And hap ye owre wi' sod and moss,
Ma haun's ma anely tools.
I'm weel pleased, I'm weel pleased,
That noo ye're oot o' sicht,
And no anither cadger loon
Will ever on ye licht.
Noo fare ye weel, ma auld buits,
And may ye quately rest,
For weel I ken that while ye warked
Ye did your verra best.
Edited by Paul - 19-Aug-2006 at 09:04
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Goban
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Posted: 19-Aug-2006 at 10:32 |
Beautiful, I love it.
When I first read your post I thought you were going to talk about Scottish Gidhlig. I was surprised by the Scottish English. I never really thought of it as a separate language. Thanks for the post Paul.
I too have some auld buits who've served me well at work for the past few years. Maybe it's time to say fare ye weel auld friens..
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Paul
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Posted: 19-Aug-2006 at 11:55 |
I think Gaelic is a bit a of a white elephant and the disproportionate amount of publicity by celtic romanticists misleads people about it's real lack of importance........ In the current Scottish population of 5 million only 60,000 speak Gaelic, where-as 1.6 million speak Scottish.
Here a website full of the stuff,
Edited by Paul - 19-Aug-2006 at 11:58
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Goban
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Posted: 19-Aug-2006 at 13:18 |
Thank you. That is an interesting site!
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The sharpest spoon in the drawer.
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Emperor Barbarossa
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Posted: 19-Aug-2006 at 14:45 |
I have always loved the Scottish language. It is wierd because it is so similar to English. I first read Scots when I read an old Jacobite song "Heigh Johnnie Cope, Are Ye Waukin' Yet?". And then I also read some of Burns. It is very similar to Northumbrian, and it is an Anglo-Norse dialect, the reason it is so similar to English. Aye, then there's auld Scots Gaelic, overestimated a wee bit, ye noo. Ony fifta' thoosan' speak it to begin wi'. Yinz noo what I'm talkin' aboot. Really, the only reason Gaelic is considered the "Scottish language" is because of the popularity of Highland culture. It is probably spoken heavily in the Highlands, but in the rest of Scotland, Scottish is more dominant.
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Northman
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Posted: 19-Aug-2006 at 18:46 |
I'm very fond of folk-music, be it Danish, British, Irish, American or German, but nothing beats Scottish in the genuine language.
I attended a funeral today, - an older friend of mine who was in a Scottish regiment during WWII had passed away, and the most touching moment in the church was when a woman from the the chorous sang Loch Lomond. Its a very beautiful song.
The Bonnie Bonnie Banks, of Loch Lomond
By yon bonnie banks, and by yon bonnie braes, Where the sun shines bright, on Loch Lomond Where me and my true love, were ever wont to gae, On the bonnie bonnie banks, of Loch Lomond Oh ye'll tak' the high road An I'll tak' the low road And I'll be in scotland afore ye For me and my true love will never meet again
on the bonnie bonnie banks of Loch Lomond
We'll meet where we parted, in yon shady glen On the steep steep side, of Ben Lomond Where in purple hue, the hie-lands hills we view And the moon looks out, frae the gloamin Chorus
Still fair is the scene, but ah! how changed Are the hopes that we fondly cherished Like a wa-t'ry gleam, like a morning dream On Cul-lo-dens field, they ha'e per-rished Chorus
The wild flowers spring, and the wee birdies sing And in sun-shine the waters, are sleepin But the broken heart, a kens nae second spring And re-sign'd we may be, tho' we're greetin Chorus
Edited by Northman - 19-Aug-2006 at 18:58
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Emperor Barbarossa
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Posted: 19-Aug-2006 at 19:56 |
I remember on the movie We Were Soldiers, there was a song in Scots in one scene.
Original Scottish Version
Lay me doon in the caul caul groon
Whaur afore monie mair huv gaun
Lay me doon in the caul caul groon
Whaur afore monie mair huv gaun
When they come a wull staun ma groon
Staun ma groon al nae be afraid
Thoughts awe hame tak awa ma fear
Sweat an bluid hide ma veil awe tears
Ains a year say a prayer faur me
Close yir een an remember me
Nair mair shall a see the sun
For a fell tae a Germans gun
Lay me doon in the caul caul groon
Whaur afore monie mair huv gaun
Lay me doon in the caul caul groon
Whaur afore monie mair huv gaun
Whaur afore monie mair huv gaun
English Translation
Lay me down in the cold cold ground
Where before many more have gone
Lay me down in the cold cold ground
Where before many more have gone
When they come I will stand my ground
Stand my ground Ill not be afraid
Thoughts of home take away my fear
Sweat and blood hide my veil of tears
Once a year say a prayer for me
Close your eyes and remember me
Never more shall I see the sun
For I fell to a Germans gun
Lay me down in the cold cold ground
Where before many more have gone
Lay me down in the cold cold ground
Where before many more have gone
Where before many more have gone
(In memory of Sgt. Charles Stuart MacKenzie
Seaforth Highlanders)
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Goban
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Posted: 19-Aug-2006 at 20:08 |
Lest we forget Auld Lang Syne:
Should auld acquaintance be forgot And never brought to mind? Should auld acquaintance be forgot And days of auld lang syne?
For auld lang syne, me dear For auld lang syne We'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet For auld lang syne
We twa hae run about the braes And pu'd the gowans fine But we've wander'd mony a weary foot Sin' auld lang syne
We twa hae paidl't in the burn Frae morning sun till dine But seas between us braid hae roar'd Sin' auld lang syne
And surely ye'll be your pint stoup And surely I'll be mine And we'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet For auld lang syne.
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Cryptic
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Posted: 24-Aug-2006 at 15:55 |
It is good to see that the Scottish English dialect is still preserved in Britain. I hope that that the younger generation continues to preserve it.
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Zagros
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Posted: 24-Aug-2006 at 16:22 |
I can understand half of that, and y accent is derived directly from it.
It is worth note that that dialect was exclusive to SE Scotland.
For example, the word "ken" means know, similar to German, "kennen". It is only used in East Central Scotland.
Ah ken.
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erkut
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Posted: 24-Aug-2006 at 18:08 |
Actualy i would like to learn some scotish For ex. How do you say: Hi, How are you? Fine in Scotish language?
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Emperor Barbarossa
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Posted: 25-Aug-2006 at 07:07 |
I believe that would be someting like "Heigh, how are ye?" and pronounced, "Heigh, hauw are ya?" Another example would be "Do ye ken wha' happened to me things ootside?"(do you know what happened to my things outside?) and an answer would be "No, I donnae ken wha' happened to thaim things ootside"(No, I do not know what happened to those things outside)
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Leonidas
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Posted: 25-Aug-2006 at 08:45 |
there was a comedy i use to love, when i lived in england about 15 years ago that was basically in that dilaect or bloody close. dunno the name but had a fat man in a netted singlet and two sons.
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Emperor Barbarossa
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Posted: 25-Aug-2006 at 13:46 |
The man may have been speaking a modern form of some type of Northumbrian, since Scots was largely based off of this ancient dialect.
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Paul
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Posted: 25-Aug-2006 at 14:55 |
Originally posted by Leonidas
there was a comedy i use to love, when i lived in england about 15 years ago that was basically in that dilaect or bloody close. dunno the name but had a fat man in a netted singlet and two sons. |
Rab C Nesbit, Glaswegian Philosopher.
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Zagros
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Posted: 25-Aug-2006 at 17:02 |
RAB C!!!
Barbarossa, you almost have it, but u need to be more consistant! "mah" i/o "me" and "ye" i/o "ya"
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Emperor Barbarossa
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Posted: 26-Aug-2006 at 07:07 |
Originally posted by Zagros
Barbarossa, you almost have it, but u need to be more consistant! "mah" i/o "me" and "ye" i/o "ya" |
That is the one thing that always confuses me.
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AyKurt
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Posted: 16-Sep-2006 at 10:56 |
The Scots language itself has a number of dialects, the Shetlands, Orkney and Northern tip of Scotland speak Insular Scots or Northern Scots, Aberdeen and the North East of Scotland speak a dialect known as Doric, Central Scots is spoken along the central belt and Southern Scots in the Borders. Even within these dialects there are regional variations. So Scots is quite diverse within itself.
Scots has also never been standardised so there arent any official spelling systems, some words can be spelt differently depending on the writer, f.e. the scots word for fall can be spelt, faa, faw or fa'.
The good news is that after centuries of put downs and avoidance Scots is recognised as a minority language in Scotland and is starting to be taught in schools. Its not much as its onsidered a part of english so perhaps a few hours a year but at least its a start.
As for speakers, its hard to say as most folk speak a mixture of Scots and english to various degrees depending on location and education, but i would say most Scots understand some Scots and in particular Scots sayings and proverbs but not that many speak proper scots in everyday use.
Also i wouldnt really consider Rab C Burns as a Scots speaker he just has a strong Glaswegian accent but speaks mostly Scottish English rather than Scots (there is a difference ).
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Holding onto anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned. - Buddha
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AyKurt
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Posted: 16-Sep-2006 at 11:03 |
here are some links in the scots language.
This is a map of the variations within Scots
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Holding onto anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned. - Buddha
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AyKurt
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Posted: 16-Sep-2006 at 11:07 |
Originally posted by Zagros
For example, the word "ken" means know, similar to German, "kennen". It is only used in East Central Scotland.
Ah ken. |
Actually its said throughout the Scots speakin parts of Scotland with the only exception being Glasgow and Lanarkshire region. Never knew why.
I live in a town just south of glasgow in Lanarkshire and its never used, wheras a town just 10 mins drive to the west of here, in Ayrshire, its used quite often.
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Holding onto anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned. - Buddha
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