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Document 1727

Scots Tung Wittins 76

Author(s): Robert Fairnie

Copyright holder(s): Name withheld

Text

Nummer 76
Mairch 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] Ph. [CENSORED: phonenumber]

Thon Parcel o Rogues Says Naw Agane tae the Mither Tung.
ON 16t. Februar, the Scots Pairlament haed a debate anent haein a question aboot the Scots Language alang wi religion pitten intae the 2001 Census. The Scottish Executive at first wisna for haein onie o this at aw but thon consait steered up sic a muckle stooshie thay war gart tae come an gaun a wee bit an, in the hinneren, thay decidit that, tho thay cuid see the kittlie religious question faur eneuch, thay wad hae tae juist thole it tae git the census order oot the wey but the'r nae wey thay war gaun tae thole a question on the Scots language at aw. A vote wis taen an 75 MSP's (Labour, Leeberal an Tory) votit agin haein the Scots question in the census an 31 MSP's (SNP, Green, SSP an Dennis Canavan) votit for it. Noo, wisna that a surpreese? Whit can thae fowk see in a strang an growthie Mither Tung that maks thaim sae feart an paranoid tae dae ocht wirth while for it? Shuirlie the Union's no hingin on sic a shooglie nail as that?

Ae MSP, Hugh Henry, screivit the follaein as pairt o his airticle in the Paisley Daily Express on 21 Feb.:-

Scots Language.

THERE are some who believe that what Is described as "Scots Language" should be given the same status as Gaelic. Irene McGugan an SNP member of the Scottish Parliament has tabled a motion asking for a question on this to be Included on the 2001 census.

In support of this I received an e-mail from, and I quote, the 'Secretar o Scots tung". MY computer went into overdrive trying to spellcheck the e-mail. My brain went numb trying to understand it.

Phrases like, 'A'm screivin tae speir' simply baffle me. Those involved claim that between 1.5 million and 2.5 million of us 'uises ae form o the Scots language or anither in oor ilkaday lives'.

They claim it is the 'saicont maist uised language' in the British Isles. I don't know about you but I would struggle to identify the language which I now speak as a separate language from English.

Yes we have a rich distinct dialect and accent, but it is doubtful if we could understand much of what the Scots language enthusiasts say or write.

I would rather ask questions which produce information on whether our society is tackling inequality, poor health, bad housing, low incomes than confuse people with strange words which few would understand.

We ken he wisna in the pairlament on the day o thon vote an aiblins it wis juist as weel for the Offeecial Report records Brian Adam MSP staunin up in the chaumer sayin,

"Fit is so wrang wi wantin to speir as part o the census aboot foo much money we mak and fit wye we speak at hame. I cannae see oniethin wrang wi that."

Cuid ye imagine whit thon wad hae duin tae Maister Henry's puir wee numb harns? Onie wey, he maunna hae taen onie tent o whit's screivit in Rhona Brankin's National Cultural Strategy whaur it says:-

We'll speak wi a voice that is common but smert
Gaelic and Scots and English – the lot!
We'll ken whaur we cam frae an whaur we ur gan
We'll aw hae a say, each wumman an man..
nor e'en whit's screivit in his ain Scottish Executive's Scots Language Factsheet that says amang ither things, The Executive appreciates that Scots is the language many children bring to school and advocates the inclusion of Scots in the school curriculum.

We doot he wadna hae screivit sic a tuim heidit consait if he haed.

Aw throu the debate aboot a question anent the Scots language in the Census 2001, the Scottish Executive haes been threapin that the Household Survey wad be a better wey o gittin the information we aw seek aboot the language. We'll juist hae tae haud thaim tae thair word aboot this an fleetch for an airlie survey wi sic a question in it but, gaun wi whit's kythed in the bygane, we canna help wunnerin whit new excuise the Scottish Executive is gaun tae howk up tae keep the leid oot o this survey an aw.

~~~ooo~~~
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 £4 peyed ilka September. (£5 furth o United Kinrik)

~~~ooo~~~
Scottish Airts Cooncil Awairds.
OWTHORS Janet Paisley an Alice Thompson wis amang the fowerteen fowk that wis awairdit the first Scottish Airts Cooncil "Creative Scotland Awards". Thae awairds, that kivvers ilka kinna airt, ettles tae bode estaiblished airtists, workin in Scotland, that is kenspeckle in thair ain kinna airt, the inlat tae try oot new weys an thochts an tae redd up thair skeels.

Janet will screive a gaitherin o up-tae-the-meinit cuttie stories that's sib tae ane anither, aw set in ae Scottish village that's foondit on the airt she bides in. She ettles tae tak her wark tae the schuils in her ain airt sae the collegianers will see that leeteratur can, an daes, kythe frae thair ain surroondins, frae amang the fowk that thay ken an wha's stories thay will ken, an that thair ain tung is a lippent leeterary language.

The'r nae mint o the language Alice Thompson's gaun tae uise but, appearinlie, she's gaun tae screive a ghaist story, set in the aichteen hunners, on an inch wi a licht-hoose. She will then gaun roond the schuils in Shetland crackin wi the collegianers aboot the buik that will leuk intae the strinds o guid an ill (licht an mirk), imperialism an thirldom.

Oniebodie interestit in pittin in for a Creative Scotland Award in the oncome, shuid contack the Scottish Airts Cooncil direck.

~~~ooo~~~
Neist Forgaitherin Mon. 13t. Mairch 2000 7.30pm tae 9.00pm Wee Lounge. Brunton Ha, Musselburgh.

Chynge o Nem on Screivit Cheques tae Scots Tung.
IN the bygane, incomin siller tae Scots Tung haes aye been that sma that thare haesna been onie want tae hae a sindert Scots Tung bank accoont an sae we'v aye haed tae mind fowk when thay'r screivin cheques tae mind an mak thaim oot tae "Richard Heinsar" an no Scots Tung. Things haes chynged noo tho efter the muckle weel daein o wir Yule cairds this year an Richard, wir convener an thesaurer, haes been left wi mair siller nor is wice tae keep oot o a bank sae a split new bank accoont haes been opened in the nem o Scots Tung an this means that onie bodie screivin cheques in the oncome shuid juist mak thaim oot tae "Scots Tung".

~~~ooo~~~
Weirin Yer Language On Yer Chist!!
THE follaein advert wis taen frae the Press an Journal an shaws anither wey tae gie the screivit leid mair exposure an at the same time, anither wey o uisin Scots tae mak siller an tae forder oor cultur. Forbye aw thon, it micht dae a muckle sicht mair for wir tourist tred than the auld farrant tartan an shortbreid eemage daes.
[NOTE: image here of the advertisement in original]

It shuirlie canna be aw that fykie tae git prentit T-serks makit up sae aiblins thare micht weel be scowth for the likes o the SLS or ither curns tae sell thaim at the likes o the Collogue, the AK Bell shop or tae ie awa as prizes for some o the bairns' competeitions. Or e'en gin thay war tae tak thair ain Scots slogans alang tae the P & J, thay wad mibbie cuid git thaim prentit up at a wicelike price.

~~~ooo~~~
Motions tae Pairlament Allooed in Scots!!
ON Tues. 29t Februar, Irene McGugan MSP, airgiein for Scots an Gaelic, pit
forrit a propone tae the Procedures Comatee speirin that Motions can be lodged in a language other than English, provided that an English translation is provided. The Procedures Comatee greed tae accep this sae noo motions tae the pairlament can be pit forrit in Scots as lang's the'r an English owersettin alang wi't. The score till noo syne the pairlament stertit is that the Scots leid haes won the richt tae hae a Scots vairsion o the sweirin in aith, MSP's haes the richt tae uise Scots in the pairlament an tae hae it recorded in Scots in the Offeecial Report an noo tae pit forrit motions in Scots. The fechts that haes been tint is the Scots question in the 2001 Census an the fleetch tae hae Scots signage alang wi the Anglo/Gaelic anes in the biggin. This hinnermaist ane wis dingit doon bi the Corporate Body an whan ye see wha's in it, 2 Lib-Dems, 1 Labour, 1 Conservative an 1 SNP, we think that says it aw. We'll juist hae tae be like the attercap an no gie in. Whit's richt canna aye be hauden doon.

~~~ooo~~~
New Wab Mag. For Scottish Theatre.
SCOTTISH theatre magazines haes been comin an gaun like the guid wather for a guid wheen year noo but a new ane, set tae be breardit in the summer, leuks mair like tae stey the coorse. This new magazine will hae the better o the anes that went afore bi haein the uphaud o academia an bi no costin ocht tae prent. The International Journal of Scottish Theatre is gaun tae be lenched bi Queen Margaret Univairsitie College as a wabsteid magazine. Stravaigers o the wab will hae the chance tae hae a keek intae a hauf dizzen airticles ilka sax month, threapin aboot aw the ins an oots o Scottish theatre at hame an furth o the kintra. The first edeetion, walit bi Professor Ian Brown, will leuk intae the subjeck o Scottish Stage Languages an the saicont will dale wi Representations o Gender in Contemporary Scottish Theatre. Ither edeetions is like tae tak on owersettin, history an post-colonialism in Scottish theatre as a hail.

~~~ooo~~~
Forgaitherin o Scottish Small Scale Braidcasters
THE Scottish Small Scale Braidcasters Associe is haudin a forgaitherin cried OPEN CHANNELS SCOTLAND at
Queen Margaret Univairsitie College's Gateway Theatre, Leith Walk, Edinburgh on 31t Mairch / 1t Aprile (Naw, it's nae huntie gowk, honest!).

The SSSBA ettles tae represent community radio, community television an wabsteid-castin forbye. The forgaitherin will hae a strang minority language content wi Scots an Gaelic includit. Friday 2.00pm haes "Old Scots/New Scots", minority leids an the race issue in a twa oor session co-ordinatit bi Stuart McHardy. 4.30-5.30 will hae a wheen o ither minorities includin Chinese, Urdu, Radio Islam etc cried "Other Voices".

A ceilidh is tae be hauden at nicht in a local shebeen.

Seturday will hae Open Channels for Europe includin presentations frae Dutch, Scandinavian an German fowk. Indiveedual fees is £35 for baith days an £17.50 for ane. This is a chance for us aw tae hae oor say aboot wit we think is necessar in braidcastin an oniebodie that wad like tae pit in thair tuppence worth on Friday shuid git in touch wi Stuart direck. Wi the breardin o local community television no faur awa an the inclusion o wabsteid-castin this cuid be a gey intrestin wee forgaitherin. On Seturday the'll be somebodie frae the Scottish Executive makin a keynote address an that micht weel be a guid inlat for a bit o lobbyin. Mair parteeclars anent beukin an that can be gotten direck frae Max Cruikshank at:-
[CENSORED: emailaddress]
or [CENSORED: phonenumber]

~~~ooo~~~
Geordie Jooks Cleeks in wi Scottish County Press.
FRAE time tae time, some o the mair cuttie Geordie Jooks stories haes been prentit in the Scots Tung Wittins. Thae stories, alang wi some that wis aye ower lang for pittin intae sic a sma wittins blat as STW, haes been acceppit bi the Scottish County Press for prentin in the Musselburgh News as a series ower a nummer o weeks. The'r fowerteen o thaim or the noo an the spellins haes been chynged a wee bit sae that the Lothian wey o sayin some o the words can be mair eithlie recogneesed bi fowk that's weel aquent wi that parteeclar byleid.

Makars' Neuk
She lies ablow my body's lust and love,
A country dearly-kent and yet sae fremd
That she's at aince thon Tir-nan-Og I've dreamed,
The airt I've lived in, whar I mean tae live,
And mair, much mair, a mixter-maxter warld
Whar fact and dream are taigled up and snorled.

I ken ilk bay o aa her body's strand,
Yet ken them new ilk time I come to shore,
For she's the uncharted sea whar I maun fare
To find anither undiscovered land,
To find it fremd, and yet to find it dear,
To seek for't aye, and aye be bydan there.

Alexander Scott.

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APA Style:

Scots Tung Wittins 76. 2024. In The Scottish Corpus of Texts & Speech. Glasgow: University of Glasgow. Retrieved 19 March 2024, from http://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk/document/?documentid=1727&highlight=direck.

MLA Style:

"Scots Tung Wittins 76." The Scottish Corpus of Texts & Speech. Glasgow: University of Glasgow, 2024. Web. 19 March 2024. http://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk/document/?documentid=1727&highlight=direck.

Chicago Style

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If your style guide prefers a single bibliography entry for this resource, we recommend:

The Scottish Corpus of Texts & Speech. 2024. Glasgow: University of Glasgow. http://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk.

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Information about Document 1727

Scots Tung Wittins 76

Text

Text audience

Audience size N/A

Text details

Method of composition N/A
Word count 2310
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 Speak Read Write Understand Circumstances
English Yes Yes Yes Yes At work
German Yes Yes Yes Yes In Germany to communicate with two grandsons
Scots Yes Yes Yes Yes Wherever Scots is understood

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