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Document 1744

Scots Tung Wittins 93

Author(s): Robert Fairnie

Copyright holder(s): Name withheld

Text

Nummer 93
Aug 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]

Regional or Minority Languages
THE first o Julie 2001 seen the requirements o the European Chairter for Regional or Minority Languages come intae force. The requirements o Pairt II o the chairter, the pairt that kivvers the Scots language (for the noo), is nae-whaur near as comprehensive as the requirements o Pairt III that kivvers Scots Gaelic, Irish Gaelic an Welsh, sae it faws on awbodie concairned aboot Scots tae mak siccar the leid is gien full meisure o aw the requirements o Pairt II. Bi wey o signature an ratification o the Chairter bi the British government, baith itsel an the Scots government is behauden tae cairie oot the requirements o Pairt II o the Chairter whaur they apply tae Scots an they're behauden bi Airticle 6 o the Chairter tae rax aw the relevant wittins anent the richts an duties estaiblished bi the Chairter on tae the authorities, organisations an fowk concairned.

"Article 6—Information
The parties undertake to see to it that the authorities, organisations and persons concerned are informed of the rights and duties established by this Charter."

Some o the German Federal Länder haes furthset guidelines brochures or buikies settin oot hou the richts an duties estaiblished bi the Chairter shuid be applied bi authorities, organisations an fowk, tae aw the minority leids kivvert bi the Chairter athin that Regional State.

For the Scots government tae faw in wi the requirements o Airticle 6, it's hard tae see hou they can jouk pittin oot some kinna guidelines tae tell authorities, organisations, quangos an fowk juist hou the Chairter micht affeck thair ongauns. Syne sic a document is shuir tae be a muckle sicht bigger for Gaelic nor for Scots, it wad be mair wicelike tae hae sindert furthsettins tae evyte confusion atween the twa leids. Gaun bi whit's kythed in the bygane, sic a guideline sheet for Gaelic will nae doot be prentit in baith English an Gaelic sae it shuid be expeckit tae hae the ane for the Scots language prentit in baith English an Scots. Gin this wisna duin, the government wadna cuid awn tae comply wi the requirements o:-

"Article 7 (Para 2)
The parties undertake to eliminate, if they have not yet done so, any unjustified distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference relating to the use of a regional or minority language……"

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 furth-set in onie ither publication.
[NOTE: a cartoon here in original]
"A man's a man for aw that" (Julie 1999)

Presentation o the Scots Tung Quaich at Tranent Primary Schuil
[NOTE: a photograph here of the award of Scots Tung quaich in original]
SCOTT Robertson, 11 year auld, is seen bein presentit wi with the Scots Tung Quaich at Tranent Primary Schuil on 29t Mey bi Mr Alan Blackie, Director o Eddication at East Lothian Cooncil, efter winnin the primary schuils' section wi a mooth watterin wee poem cried "Chocolate Cake". Scott an fower ither rinners-up wis presentit wi a certificate forbye. The fotie shaws (car tae richt): front raw; Benn Main, Alan Blackie, Scott Robertson, an Stephanie McMullan; hinnermaist raw; Lauren Drummond, Robert Fairnie, Secretar o Scots Tung, Ross Campbell an Tranent Primary Schuil heid-mistress, Fiona Waddell. The Scots Tung maimbers that wis thare wis fair taen wi the birr an intrest in Scots that wis shawn, no juist bi the students but bi the teachers, heid-mistress, Mr. Blackie an the bairns' mithers forbye.

Neist Forgaitherin
Date tae be decidit.
7.30pm tae 9.00pm
Comatee Rm. C.
Brunton Ha, Musselburgh

Scots Tung Yule Caird for 2001
[NOTE: an image of a Christmas card here in original]
IT is howped tae hae the abuin cairds for this incomin Christmas 2001, prentit athin the neist week or twa, giein rowth o time for thae fowk that ettles tae send thaim aroon the warld bi the cheaper surface mail insteid o thon mair expensive air mail. It's jaloused that, barrin onie unbekent prenter's oncost, they'll be sellin for the same price as fernyear, £6.00 for a poke o 10 wi anither £1 eikit on if sent throu the post. The'r aye a puckle o the "Snaw ower the Ochils" left ower frae last year an they'll be sellin for £5.00 the poke o ten an anither £1 eikit on for P&P.

The abuin new caird for 2001 is cried "Leukin tae the Auld Toun" an the picter's taen frae an oreeginal mixed-media drawin bi East Lothian airtist an kenspeckle illustrator for bairns buiks, Sally J. Collins, shawin the hert o Auld Reekie at Christmas frae Princes Street. Oniebodie intrestit in her illustratin wark can git her on 01875-853-553.

Janet haes screivit the poem for inower juist as she haes in years gane by an this ane is weel up tae her uswal standart, mellin in wi baith the picter an the speerit o Yule. Ye can read it ablow an see for yersel:-

Yince mair the feast o Yule,
A wondrous time o year,
Disperses winter's rule
An brings some needed cheer.

The festive lichts sae braw
Adornin Edinb'rry toun
Chase mirk an gloom awa,
Spreid brichtness aw aroon.

The icy blast can blaw,
Bit gin oor herts be licht,
A shooer o glentin snaw
Juist maks the saison richt.

Yule is a time o peace,
O happiness an cheer,
Gin freendliness increase,
We'll hae a Guid New Year.

The greetin inside the caird is a wee bit chynged frae fernyear but aye bides gey standart wi:-

Aw the Best for a Hertie Yule
An a
Richt Guid New Year

The cairds is expeckit tae be on sale in a nummer o shops in Haddington, Musselburgh, Edinburgh, Udny an ither airts but can be ordered ower the phone on [CENSORED: phonenumber]. Tak tent that Scots Tung sells its cairds tae the shops at the same price it sells tae its maimbers an freends as quoted abuin, but the shops aye hae tae eik thair ain oncost an profits.

Daes Ceevil Servants tell lees an aw or are they juist donnert?
ANE o Scots Tung's maimbers wis speakin tae a freend that haed been speakin tae a kenspeckle ceevil servant dargin for ane o the depairtments o the Scottish Executive. Whan speirt anent the Scots language, this ceevil servant is threapit tae hae reponed:-
"On Scots, there's not a lot happen-ing..."
"On Scots, there's not much to be said..."
"For Scots, it's really a matter of hav-ing the right educational guidelines..."
"No need to do anything under the European Charter, because it's not ratified for Scots..."

The first three threaps maks this ceevil servant's consait anent Scots clear but tae threap the European Chairter haesna been ratifeed for Scots is a complete conter tae aw the media reports an in parteeclar, EBLUL's report in it's Eurolang wabsteid dated 27-3-01 see www.eurolang.net/news.asp?id=123
Thon report threaps in its first paragraph, "The British government has ratified the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, thereby granting additional protection to Irish, Gaelic, Welsh, Scots and Ulster Scots."

Baith threaps canna be richt an it's ill tae see aw the media gittin it that wrang. But gin the media wis richt daes that mean that this parteeclar ceevil servant wis tellin lees or wis he juist plain donnert? A ceevil servant o the executive, haudin thae kinna consaits o an international chairter maun shuirlie be a concern tae baith MSPs an MPs alike.

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 wabsteid o:-
The Scots Speikers Curn, Glesca.
Wabsteid backin:-
Http://www.mlove.free-online.co.uk/
A hard copie o STW is sent free o chairge tae aw maimbers o Scots Tung ilka month.
Maimbership subscreivins is £5 (Scotland/UK)
Peyed ilka September.
£6 (Ireland/EU) $14 (Americae)

Makar's Neuk
HERT-SAIR
Iss is e first time Andra's gien me greef
Fit am I gyan ti dee wi'oot him?
He wis aye affa gweed ti me.
Ivery mornin he brocht me a cup o tea -
I nivver tellt him it wis ower strang.
Ald wife he aye ca'ed me.
"Ald wife! Fit are ye scraichin aboot noo?"
"Ald wife! Tak a look at ma shoot
An see e mochs hinna been at it!"

Nivver a crabbit werd e fifty an mair ears
We wis merrit.
I wis licky ti get a man like Andra.
Ma ain midder wis aye affa coorse ti me.
Fuppet me, an lockit me oot o e hoose
Fin I trysted wi Andra,
A' at chynged.

Mony's e time he wid spik aboot ma wyste.
Coold span it wi his twa hans, he wad cra'
Ma wyste an ma bonny broon een.
At wis e twa things he maist gid on aboot.

Och! He wis a gye cheil in his day,
wis Andra!
Could play a fiddler's rant,
sing a bonny sang
An doon a dram wi e best o em.
A bit o a stammagaster for some folk
Fin he settled doon.
It wis for me an aa, I hiv ti say.

I ken fine he wid hae likit
Ti ging back ti Tchicaga
Ti e stock yairds 'ere.
'Ere wis a gweed livin oot 'ere for us, he said.
Bit I wis ower feert.
I didna want ti ging 'at hine awa.

He nivver cuist it up ti me.
Nivver een ti hud a pick.
He wis weel respeckit
An a gweed werker.

Bit he wis wintin awa.
I should hae jaloused it.
Hogmanay last, he didna touch's rum
Or tak a lunt o's bogey roll.
He jist sat in e ingle neuk
Lookin at's aa.

He kennt fine.
Fit wey did he nae tell me?
Fit am I gyan ti dee wi'oot him?

Mary Mackie Johnston.

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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 93. 2024. In The Scottish Corpus of Texts & Speech. Glasgow: University of Glasgow. Retrieved 28 March 2024, from http://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk/document/?documentid=1744.

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"Scots Tung Wittins 93." The Scottish Corpus of Texts & Speech. Glasgow: University of Glasgow, 2024. Web. 28 March 2024. http://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk/document/?documentid=1744.

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Information about Document 1744

Scots Tung Wittins 93

Text

Text audience

Audience size N/A

Text details

Method of composition N/A
Word count 1728
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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