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Document 1737

Scots Tung Wittins 86

Author(s): Robert Fairnie

Copyright holder(s): Name withheld

Text

Nummer 86
Jan. 2001

Keep a guid Scots tung in yer heid an in yer hert! But mind an uise it tae!

Scots Tung WITTINS

Eydentlie uphaudin the Scots Leid Campaine
e-screive: [CENSORED: emailaddress] Ph. [CENSORED: phonenumber] Stravaiger Ph. [CENSORED: phonenumber]

STW Bids Aw Its Readers a
Hertie Yule
an a
Richt Guid New Year!

~~~ooo~~~
Oot Wi The Auld In Wi The New!!!
WE wish ye aw that ye aw wad wish for yersels. Lat 2001 bring in aw the guid things we howp for wirsels an wir ain an lat 2000 tak awa aw the things that gart us grue fernyear. Lat fernyear tak awa aw the discreemination that we an wir mither leid haes haed tae dree for far ower lang. Whit wey shuid wir mither leid no kythe in the signs an pamphlets o wir ain Scots pairlament alangside o Gaelic an Inglis? Is ane man's language onie better nor anither's? Whit wey daes the likes o BBC Scotland juist see the Scots language an Scots speakers as a subjeck o comedy an ridicule? Whit is it gaunae tak tae mak thaim see that Scots is the graith uised bi the biggest minority in Britain tae communicate wi ane anither? When are they gaunae uise it tae communicate wi us?
Oot wi aw thae auld farrant consaits an in wi the new. A guid 2001 tae ane an aw!

~~~ooo~~~
Screivit Report o the Scottish Youth Summit.
THE abuin Scottish Youth Summit, that kythed fernyear, wis a ae day ongaun whaur young fowk wis gien the inlat tae debate onie subjeck they chuise an tae speak direck tae meenisters o the Scottish Executive. The abuin screivit report o the SYS is bein pit thegither the noo bi Maister Mark Meiklejohn wha haes speirt Scots Tung for permeeshion tae uise pairt o Scots Tung Wittins' banner heidline in the title o the report. That permeeshion haes been gien bi Scots Tung an we'v been telt that, subjeck tae meenisterial appruval, it's proponed tae uise "Lat It Oot!" as the title o the Report o the Scottish Youth Summit, wi the hail o the by-line kythin inower, ie. "Keepin a guid Scots tung in yer heid's nae guid! Lat it oot an uise it!".

Nane o the abuin haes ocht tae dae wi the fack that the abuin by-line haes raicentlie been chynged on the Scots Tung Wittins but it's richt hertenin tae ken the'r sic an intrest taen in STW frae pairts o the estaiblishment.

~~~ooo~~~
Neducation?
BBC Scotland haes a wabsteid for thair kenspeckle Chewin the Fat shaw an ane o its pages, heidit NEDUCATION, can be fund at:-
www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/chewingthefat/neducation/index.shtml

Here some o whit it haes tae say:-
"The BBC has some excellent language education sites......and then there's this one. Still, forget your 'French Experience' and 'Suenos' – this is the dug's baws. Learning a new language can seem a bit daunting, but with this Neducation Guide you'll be talking in the style of Glasgow's finest neds in no time. Who knows, maybe those scone munchers James and Gary will be drooling over your attempts at the Glesgae Banter? Listen to the English, followed by the top-quality Nedspeak translation."

A leet o "Nedspeak" words gien on this page includes the likes o:-
Aff yer heid, Ah, aye, baws, beelin, blootered, boaby, boggin, burroo, cludgy, gallus, glaikit, greetin, haud on, keech, loupin an polis.
[NOTE: image here of Robert Burns in original]

Is it no juist teepical o Scotland's BBC, richt at the stert o the European Year o The Languages, tae tak thae fowk that Burns praised for awnin honest poverty, an cry thaim Neds insteid? The BBC thinks aw this is juist a wee bit licht hertit fun an comedy an shuidna be compared wi onie sairious mindit program on the merits o the Scots language. Whit sairious mindit program? Dae they ken somethin we dinna? They dinna e'en refer tae Scots at aw but invent anither name for it – Nedspeak. Bi makin oot that fowk that uises thae Scots words in thair ilkaday language is juist Glesca Neds, the BBC daes juist as muckle skaith tae the confidence o thae fowk as the teachers in the schuils did no that lang syne whan they telt the bairns, "I don't want to hear that common street slang in my classroom. Learn to speak properly!"

The Scottish Executive raicentlie taen it on thirsels no tae hae a quaisten on the Scots language pitten intae the 2001 Census efter surveys haed shawn that, parteeclar in west-central Scotland, a wheen o fowk, whan speirt if they speak Scots or no, wad say no but they'd awn tae speak the Glesca Patter or some ither kinna Glesca Slang. Some o thaim wull nae doot be stertin tae think they speak Nedspeak an aw noo. It's bad eneuch that Scotland's BBC shuid mak a bauchle o the Scots language an the fowk that speaks the Scots language, but they mak a bauchle at the verra thocht o oniebodie tryin tae lairn the language an aw. That in its turn maks a bauchle o the teachers in the schuils an o aw the guid wark they've been daein ower raicent years, maistlins wi a muckle scant o graith an siller.

The BBC's excuises o the wabsteid bein juist a bit licht hertit fun an comedy wad haud mair watter gin thair programs wis a wee bit mair balanced wi the language uised in sairious programs as weel as comedy anes insteid o juist comedy on its lane. If thae fowk that the BBC sees as Neds wis tae hear the likes o the Scottish News read in Scots, they micht juist recognise that the words they uise isna slang at aw but pairt o a prood, if doonhauden, language.

The Guid Scots Tung haes haed tae dree a muckle skaith frae aw the airts ower the years. The last thing it wants at the stert o anither year is tae dree mair skaith frae fowk that nae doot sees thirsels as "ane o oo" e'en tho they dinna aye ack like it.

The Neist Forgaitherin
Monday 15t. Januar 2001 7.30pm tae 9.00pm Comatee Rm. C. Brunton Ha, Musselburgh.

~~~ooo~~~
Come alang an hear Stuart McHardy daein his ain thing.

Scots Tung WITTINS
on the wab.
The Scots Tung Wittins can be vizzied or doon-haundelt 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 £5 peyed ilka September. (£6 furth o United Kinrik)

~~~ooo~~~
Norrowey Haes its Ain Wey o daein Things.
LEST month, it wis reportit on a Radio 4 program that, whan a Norwegian owthor fetches oot a new buik screivit in the Norwegian leid, the government coffs the first thoosan buiks tae gie thaim a heize in a sma mercat. If thae buiks is raxed oot tae the schuils an libraries, it soonds lik a richt guid ploy that can dae nocht but guid tae the hamelt owthors, the leid an baith the schuils an libraries forbye. We wunner gin the'r onie mense in sic a like ploy for Scots an Gaelic here in Scotland? Cuid this no be a thing for the cross pairty curn tae hae a leuk at? It micht weel turn oot that the praisent wey new owthors is whiles gien a heize bi the Scottish Airts Cooncil micht turn oot tae be mair o an uphaud nor the Norwegian wey is but somewey we hae wir doots.

~~~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~~~
I.T. Lairnin Centre For Ulster-Scots In Co. Donegal?
IT haes been reportit that a kenspeckle company haes been engaged tae leuk intae the feasibility o settin up an Ulster-Scots Language Lairnin Centre, tae be foondit in Co. Donegal in the Irish Republic. The ettle is tae fend a high tech language lairnin resource, that will gie a muckle heize tae the airt, tae the Scots language, an nae doot tae lesser uised leids athort the hail o Europe. It's proponed tae big up an IT foondit resource, whaur fowk can lairn Scots nae maitter whaur they bide, frae the comfort o thair ain hoose. It will hae aw the necessar wab-cams, on-line speir leets etc. an will be airtit in an office in eastern Co. Donegal wi three tae fower ful-time staff. The company recognises the darg is a muckle ane an speirs help an ideas frae ither organizations athort the yird that micht can help. We juist howp they bide weel clear o BBC Scotland tho!!

~~~ooo~~~
Cross Pairty Tradeetional Airts Group Foondit.
THE abuin group (START) wis offeecially foondit on Wadensday 6t. December at a forgaitherin hauden in the Castle Tavern, Johnstone Terrace, Edinburgh. Thare wis aboot thertie MSP's an upsteerers thare an they aw signed up as maimbers. The formal ettles o the group haes aye tae be decidit yet but, in genral it means they hae a nummer o MSP's, cross pairty an cross Scotland, that's keen uphauders o the tradeetional airts an will bring up maitters in comatees, in the pairlament chaumer an lobby for START an speir quaistens aff meenisters an ceevil servants aboot policy an fundin deceesions.

The group's Convener is Cathy Peattie MSP an, as her assistant, Dave Smith, is daein the Secretar's wark, oniebodie that wants tae jyne the group (nae stent or subscreivins) shuid e-screive tae:-
[CENSORED: emailaddress] wi thair name, airt an parteeclar intrests sic as musician, dancer, story-teller, club or festival organiser, tutor an that. The mair names they hae, the stranger the vice it'll gie START. Vice-conveners is Roseanna Cunningham MSP an Alex Fergusson MSP. The Edinburgh anes is intent on haein a forgaitherin ilka twa month while the ither MSP's gauns hame tae thair ain airts.

~~~ooo~~~
Fishin Quotas.
IVVER syne he haed been a wee laddie, Geordie Jooks haed aye kent the war juist the twa kinna fowk in the warld; fisher-fowk an the ither kind. Thon wis brocht hame tae him afore the New Year whan the Scottish Fisheries Meenister, Rhona Brankin MSP, wis fair blawin aboot hou weel her negotiations wi the EU aboot fishin quotas haed gane. She threapit that she'd won success for the fishermen in key areas. It wis juist the opposeetion MSP's – an the fishermen – that didna gree wi her.

Aw this pit Geordie in mind o happier times whan his uncle "Stookie" Rob MBE BEM, wis the Preses o the Firth o Forth Fishermen's Associe an o ae time that he haed been speirt tae jyne a delegation gaun ower tae Brussels tae lobby a better dale for the Scottish seine-net fishermen. The delegation wis heidit bi Winnie Ewing MEP, "Madame Ecosse" hersel. Weel, efter aw the ongauns at the EU wis ower an duin wi, Mistress Ewing thocht she haed won ane or twa inlats for the fishermen. They'd haed tae gie up a wheen forbye but no as muckle as it micht hae been an she wis feelin quite joco waitin in the airport for thair return flicht whan she went ower tae Uncle Rob an said, "Well Robert, what did you think of my speech yesterday afternoon?" Uncle Rob taen her gently bi the elbae, leuked her in the ee an said, "Weel Mistress Ewing. A micht as weel be honest wi ye hen. A think ye ken as muckle aboot seine-net fishin as ma erse kens aboot snipe shootin!"

Geordie daesna ken if the conversation makit onie faurer progress frae thare but he daes ken the'r juist the twa kinna fowk in the warld an he haes lat it be kent that this wis a true story. He haed gotten it strecht frae Stookie's guid-dochter. Juist ane or twa o the names haes been chynged tae proteck the guilty.

Celtic Leid's First Stravaiger For Warld Wide Wab.
THE first ivver Internet stravaiger (browser) in fower Celtic leids haes juist been brocht oot allouin speakers o thae leids tae stravaig the wab in thair ain mither tung. The new Celtic vairsion o the Opera stravaiger haes been biggit up bi a neibourin o fowk weel leirit in lesser uised leids frae aroond Europe an uphaudit bi the European Commission's Directorate General for the Information Society. Localised intae Breton, Irish, Scottish Gaelic an Welsh, this stravaiger is the first bit o muckle-audience saftweir tae come tae haund in the fower strangest o the Celtic leids. A fore-speaker for EBLUL, ane o the projeck pairtners, says it's the first time ivver the'r been an internaitional monie-leidit localisation projeck at the lesser uised leid level. The new Opera stravaiger will be fendit athoot onie chairge, tae stert wi, an it can be doon-haundelt frae:- http://www.opera.com (EL) Ane o the oot-comes o the new stravaiger micht weel be a standartisation o words tae kivver the monie new technical IT terms. Thon's a thing the Scots language wad like tae ken the guid o as weel.

~~~ooo~~~
Mair Cosmopolitan Scots
THON wee story lest month anent the Eytalian POW's shoogilt the memory o ane o wir maimbers that raxed the follaein true story on tae us.

The time o the war, Polish officers wis ludged oot wi fowk in thair ain hooses aw ower Scotland an, bein the gentlemannie officers that they war, they whiles helped tae dae the messages for thair landladies.

Ae Dalkeith dominie minds seein sic a gentie officer mairch intae a kailwife's shop, knick his heels thegither, gie a smertlike fremmit European bow, an then, wi a preceese an carefu accent said tae the kailwife, "Twa poona aippuls."

~~~ooo~~~
Makar's Neuk
Is there for honest Poverty
That hings his head, an a that?
The coward-slave, we pass him by,
We dare be poor for a that!
For a that, an a that,
Our toils obscure, an a that,
The rank is but the guinea's stamp,
The man's the gowd for a that!

Then let us pray that come it may,
As come it will for a that,
That Sense and Worth, ower a the earth,
May bear the gree, an a that.
For a that, an a that,
It's comin yet for a that,
That Man to Man the world ower,
Shall brothers be for a that!

Robert Burns.

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The SCOTS Project and the University of Glasgow do not necessarily endorse, support or recommend the views expressed in this document.

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Scots Tung Wittins 86. 2024. In The Scottish Corpus of Texts & Speech. Glasgow: University of Glasgow. Retrieved 11 December 2024, from http://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk/document/?documentid=1737.

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Information about Document 1737

Scots Tung Wittins 86

Text

Text audience

Audience size N/A

Text details

Method of composition N/A
Word count 2513
General description monthly newsletter

Text medium

Leaflet/brochure (prospectus)

Text publication details

Published
Publisher Scots Tung
Publication year 2001
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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