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Document 1731

Scots Tung Wittins 80

Author(s): Robert Fairnie

Copyright holder(s): Name withheld

Text

Nummer 80
Julie 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]

Language Tae Be Uised Tae Forder The Tourist Mercat In The Hielands.
THE Hielands o Scotland Tourist Board is aboot tae tak up a muckle stert tae forderin the Gaelic language an cultur as a heidie pairt o its Hieland tourist ettles. The Hieland Cooncil haes greed tae pey the HSTB £487,523 (€780,120) this year as lang's the siller's uised tae forder the airt's Gaelic language an cultur as weel as forderin by-ordinar holidays sic as anes tae dae wi the environment an ongauns tae dae wi fowk speirin oot thair forebeirs' lineage.

Twa o the heidmaist weys o forderin tourism in this wey wad be tae hae brochures screivit in Gaelic as weel as English an tae hae a mair Celtic souch tae the design alang wi pittin up mair twa-leidit road signage in the airt.

The SNP, wi Alasdair Allan as its forespeaker, taks this ploy a bit faurer alang the gate an it's proponed tae pit forrit an amendment for a mint o Gaelic tae be pitten intae the Naitional Parks Bill that's gaun throu the Scots Pairlament the noo. Alasdair says that it's thair consait that Naitional Parks shuidna juist forder landward Scotland tae tourists as a wilderness, but as a place wi a sindrie cultur, an that means haein Gaelic in road signs an that.

As Scots leid upsteerers, we wadna conter onie o thon at aw but whan ye think that wir verra first Naitional Park is gaun tae be Loch Lomond an the Trossachs, we wunner if juist haein Gaelic an English road signs is gaun tae dae justice tae whit the feck o Scots, ay an fowk frae furth the kintra an aw, still sees as "By yon bonnie banks and by yon bonnie braes". Leavin Scots signs oot thare wad be juist as glaikit as leavin thaim oot o the Scots Pairlament biggin itsel, an ack o deleeberate poleetical discreemination.

A puckle year syne, a speirin o veesitors tae Tayside fund oot that the heidmaist thing maist veesitors leukit for wis "a different cultur" an baith the Scottish an local Tourist Boards gree that language is the first cultural chynge maist veesitors wad expeck tae see whan they first set fit in anither kintra. The Scottish Tourist Board an the auld East Lothian Tourist Board baith greed at the time that pittin up road signs in Scots (no international traffic signs) wad be the wey tae gaun but baith pled want o siller for no daein ocht. If the Hieland Cooncil can gie siller tae its local tourist board tae uise Gaelic for the forderin o tourism, whit wey can the ither cooncils, or e'en COSLA, no gie siller tae thair ain local tourist boards, or e'en the S.T.B., tae uise Scots for forderin tourism in thair ain airts? If the siller spent fetches in mair veesitors' bawbees, can the cooncils afford tae no spend it?

~~~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.

~~~ooo~~~
Snaw ower the Ochils.
AY, thon's the title o the picter on the front o wir heidmaist new Yule caird for this year. It's taen frae an oreeginal water-colour pentin bi East Lothian airtist Sheena Phillips an shaws Stirling Castle, the Wallace Moniment an the snaw happed Ochil Hills aneath a glowerin winter sky.
[NOTE: image here of a Christmas card with 'Hertie Yule' inscription in original]

Inower the caird, the'r a poem bi Janet Cousin agane that says:-

The dowie days o th'ootgaun year
Ur aften daurk an wantin cheer,
Wi poorin rain or freezin sleet
An winds sae snell they gar ye greet.

Bit gin the yird be happed in snaw,
The dreichest landscape turns fair braw,

Pentin a picter shair tae please
Giein oor speerits a walcome heize.

The Yuletide greetin on the ither inby blat is juist the same as fernyear wi:-

Biddin Ye a Hertie Yule an a Richt Guid New Year

This caird's the same size an quality as the Mound ane frae fernyear an it's howped tae hae the twa cairds (this ane an the wee'er ane wi the minoritie leids on the front that wis shawn in STW Nummer 78) at the prenters athin the neist week or twa. We'r ettlin tae hae twa thoosan rin aff frae ilka ane tae stert wi or sic time as we ken whit the mercat's gaun tae be like this year.

~~~ooo~~~
The Neist Forgaitherin date tae be decidit yet 7.30pm tae 9.00pm Comatee Rm. C. Brunton Ha, Musselburgh.

~~~ooo~~~
Mair Siller For Scots Dictionars.
[NOTE: a photograph here of irene McGugan in original]
IRENE McGugan MSP, efter dargin awa in the Scots Pairlament tae forder an uphaud the Scots language in genral an the SNDA in parteeclar, haes gotten Rhona Brankin in the hinneren, tae fend anither £50,000 tae forder wark on the Dictionar's new electronic database. Coorse, the SNDA cuid dae wi a sicht mair nor that but, lik they say, bannocks is aye better nor nae breid. It wis on Thursday 15t. Juin that the Depute Meenister for Cultur an Sport telt Irene in the pairlament chaumer at Question Time an a ful copie o the ongauns taen frae the Offeecial Report is ower-screivit ablow.

"Scottish National Dictionary Association
5. Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to secure the financial viability of the Scottish National Dictionary Assoc.(S1O-1941)The Deputy Minister for Culture and Sport (Rhona Brankin): I am arranging for a grant of £50,000 to be made available to the SNDA to enable it to continue preparatory work for the Scottish dictionary database. The grant will be paid through the Scottish Arts Council, which will continue to monitor the SNDA to ensure that the extra public funding is used most effectively.

Irene McGugan: I thank the minister for that answer, which I am sure will reassure the SNDA. Does the minister accept that Scots is an important element of our culture and that the SNDA is doing more than any other body to preserve it and to encourage its use, albeit on very limited means? Is she aware that other countries cherish their languages and that support for Swiss German and Frisian dictionaries has been increased? I hope that that approach will be emulated in Scotland.

Rhona Brankin: The Scottish Executive considers the Scots language an important part of Scotland's distinctive linguistic and cultural heritage. We feel that it is important for young people to have access to Scots—they should have the chance to study and learn about Scots in schools. The Scots language is under consideration as part of the national cultural strategy."

~~~ooo~~~
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~~~
It's No Juist Oorsels Noo
FERNYEAR, Scots Tung wis o the consait that the mercat for Scots language Christmas cairds wis gittin ower growthie noo for a wee curn, the likes o wirsels, tae saitisfee the hail o it aw. We haed howped that ane o the kenspeckle hamelt professional caird makars cuid be fleetched intae takin up the slack in the mercat but, tho the'r been a wee puckle intrest, naebodie haes cam strecht oot an said, "Ay, we'll dae it!"

We maunna be ower hertless aboot it tho for wittins comes tae us frae the blats o the Press & Journal tae tell us o a new greetins caird company, cried Mither Tongue, that wis foondit last November. Nor-aist wumman, Marguerite Cruickshanks frae Keith, that haes rhymed in the Doric (Scots) syne she wis a bairn, haes turnt her ingyne wi hamelt words intae a business. She furthsets greetins cairds o aw kin-kinds; Christmas, burthdays, annivairseries, gowd an siller waddins, kirstenins an for maist ither uisses. The fotie in the paper shaws the wordin on the front o the cairds screivit in English wi the rhymin Scots greetins inower. We wad raither hae seen the hail caird screivit in Scots but aiblins that micht be aye tae come. As we said afore –bannocks is aye better nor nae breid an it's a gey sma step atween the front o her letter cairds haein "From Aberdeen, Scotland's Granite City – A Short Note, To Keep In Touch" tae haein insteid, "Frae Aiberdeen, Scotland's Granite City – A Cuttie Line, Tae Mind Ye O Us". The mercat we'v fund is for Scots language cairds. We dinna ken aboot English language cairds wi a wee bit Scots in thaim. For aw that tho, we howp that Mither Tongue gits biggit up strang an growthie an mair pouer tae its elbae.

Share a Shunkie in Dons' Kintra!
OOR correspondin maimber frae Pitmedden, Dave Wilson, haes telt us o some gey orra ongauns that's takin place in Aiberdeenshire thae days. The Cooncil haes juist lowpit aheid o Langshanks (Edward I) on the unpopularity leet bi shuttin doon 69 public cludgies athort the hail airt. Juist cos the Cooncil haes spent £12m mair nor they haed in thair pooches, they thocht they wad hain aboot £316,000 this year bi shuttin doon the cludgies. Nae doot they cuid hain e'en mair bi chairgin fowk for permeets tae dae thair business in the street. It's gaun tae be sair on aulder fowk tho that micht no be able tae dander faurer frae thair hoose nor they can rin back frae in time tae thair ain cludgie. The chancie anes micht ken a freend ootside the sauf rinnin back radius that micht be guid-willie eneuch tae share thair shunkie wi thaim. An whit aboot the tourist mercat? Is a bleck-mercat cottage industry gaun tae kythe athort the shire wi Aiberdonian entrepreneurs pittin up notices in thair hoose windaes that says, "RENT-A-CLUDGIE £1 A SHOT"?

Bi sawin thae seeds o rebellion, the Cooncil haes brocht aw this bother on tae thair ain heids an noo the bilin mad "GIE'S BACK OOR CLUDGIES!" anes is ready for a muckle fecht.

A steerin anthem cried "Nae Public Loos Noo", screivit in Scots bi hamelt man, Don Carney, an sung tae the tune o "The Wild Rover", haes been taen up as a slogan bi the fowk an is noo better kent as "The Lavvie Sang". E'en wir ain Davie haes been cairiet alang on the swall o rebellion in the nor-aist an he's haed the follaein sedeetious verse prentit in the Ellon Times:-

Fit's aa this in Ellon's news?
The Cooncil's closin doun wir loos!
Fit on earth are we gaain tae dee
Fan we're taen short an burstin tae pee?

Fit happens fan ye've hid a curry,
An syne ye'r in an affa hurry?
If ye dinna wint tae fill yer bricks,
Ye'll hae tae dee it ahin hey ricks.

Fan mannies cam stotterin oot the boozers,
Crossin their legs an clutchin their troosers,
Far are they gaain tae mak their watter,
Efter they've hid a nicht on the batter?

An fit aboot pinchiners oot for the day?
Fit on earth are they gaain tae say?
They stott aff the busses wi bledders foo,
Shoutin; "Far the Hell's the nearest loo?"

Is this a "country o the free",
Far ye canna find a place tae wee?
Ye'll find a sign on yer local cazzie,
"The nearest Toilet's ootside Benghazi".

Tattie Bogles an That.
[NOTE: image here of 'The Bogle' in original]
THE Scottish Agricultural Museum at Ingliston, juist ootside o Edinburgh, gies oot a wee buikie cried The Bogle tae gaun alang wi a magic lantern an soond kistie shawin they pit on. The Bogle tells the story tae bairns o hou life haes chynged ower the last twa hunner year, parteeclar fuid an the wey it gits cuiked. He ettles tae shaw the bairns hou things is aye chyngin an hou chynge in ae thing gars chynge in ithers. He pints oot that things that haes survived frae the bygane can be uised, alang wi thair auld farrant nems, tae mak thae chynges easier tae unnerstaun. The text is screivit bi Gavin Sprott an, tho the'r a wee bit narrative that's screivit in English, awthin that comes oot the bogle's mooth is guid hailsome Scots. We unnerstaun the S.A.M. is flittin frae Ingliston tae ootside East Kilbride in Julie but gin oniebodie wants parteeclars, nae doot if they ring the Ingliston nummer 0131 333 2674, they'll git re-airtit.

As Pat Thomas says in her poem on the hinnermaist batter,

Tammie Tumshie the Tattie Bogle
Wes made o towe and sticks and straw.
And gin he wesnae mukkil tae luik at,
Whan aa dress't up he did luik braa.

~~~ooo~~~
Mair Heidie Heidlines an Media Sneckins.
HERE a puckle mair exemplars o Scots heidlines, words an phrases that's kythed in the Scottish papers ower the hinneren o Juin.

Eat yer heart out, Ah tolt ye, She's still feart
'fur coat and nae knickers'
of her granny, I hadnae the heart, Are you starin at ma broch?, Aw ay, Are ye?, Ye'll, Hand me doon ma phobia, Ah kent your faither, abune us all, an ordinary mannie.

~~~ooo~~~
Makars' Neuk
Sen Alexander our king wes deid
That Scotland left in luve and lee,
Away wes sonse of aill and breid,
Of wine and wax, of gamin and glee.
The gold wes changit all in leid,
The frute failyeit on everilk tree.
Christ succour Scotland and remeid
That stad is in perplexitie.

Unbekent c. 1300

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Information about Document 1731

Scots Tung Wittins 80

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Text audience

Audience size N/A

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Method of composition N/A
Word count 2402
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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