SCOTS Project - www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk Document : 1735 Title : Scots Tung Wittins 84 Author(s): Robert Fairnie Copyright holder(s): Name withheld Text Nummer 84 Nov. 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] Scots Tung Ongauns for this Incomin Winter. THE first forgaitherin o the winter taen place in the Brunton Ha on Monday 2t. Oct., whaur some o wir new Yule cairds wis vizzied an raxed ower tae maimbers. The follaein program wis decidit for the first pairt o the new session:- Mon. 6t. Nov. – David Purdie (kenspeckle poet frae Loanheid) giein a readin frae some o his wark follaed bi a wee Standart Habbie Warkshop. Mon. 4t. Dec. – Peter McCulloch Snr. (kenspeckle poet frae Haddington) giein a readin frae some o his wark. Mon. 15t. Jan. – Stuart McHardy (owthor, poet, story-teller an music makar frae Auld Reekie) daein his ain thing. Mon. 12t. Feb. – Tae be decidit.* Mon. 12t. Mairch – Tae be decidit.* *We'r howpin for ane or twa mair speakers for Winter/Ware 2001, includin the possibeelitie o haein Matthew Fitt alang tae dae a wee bit "Creative Writing" warkshop. Awbodie's walcome tae onie o wir forgaitherins. Ye dinna hae tae be a maimber o Scots Tung. Juist come alang tae Comatee Rm. C, tap flair o the Brunton Ha, Musselburgh. ~~~ooo~~~ Yule Cairds 2000 [NOTE: two images here of Christmas cards in original] OOR Scots language Yule cairds for this incomin Christmas an New Year is disappearin like snaw aff a dyke. Ae shop haes haed tae be re-stockit wi anither 180 cairds efter the first week. Snaw ower the Ochils is an A5 size caird wi a poem an the follaein greetin inower Biddin Ye a Hertie Yule an a Richt Guid New Year. They cost £6 for a poke o 10 wi anither £1 eikit on if sent throu the post. The'r aye a wee drap o the Mound cairds we haed fernyear still tae haund. They're A5 size as weel an sell for £5 a poke o 10 wi £1 eikit on for P&P. Wir ither new caird for this year is A6 size wi A Hertie Yule an a Guid New Year on the front. Thon greetin is repeatit in Gaelic, Welsh, Catalan, Frisian an Basque tae celebrate the European Year of the Languages that sterts on New Year's day. The greetin inower says Wi a Reekin Lum an a Hoose Fou o cheer, Hae a Hertie Yule an a Richt Guid New Year. The ither page gies a puckle statistics anent thae ither minority languages. Thae cairds sells for £4 the poke o ten wi 60p eikit on for P&P. Cairds can be ordered in pokes o ten baith bi e-screive on [CENSORED: emailaddress] an bi on [CENSORED: phonenumber] or [CENSORED: phonenumber] ~~~ooo~~~ Gittin Yer Language Richt IN last month's Scots Tung Wittins we speirt maimbers tae seek oot Matthew Fitt's "But n Ben A-Go-Go" at thair ain local library an, gin they didna hae it, tae see if they cuid order it in. Weel, ane o wir maimbers did juist that in Auld Reekie an twa three days efter got a phone frae the library an a wifie sayin did she ken that thon buik wis screivit in Gaelic an wad she no prefer an English vairsion. Efter wir maimber ettelt tae pint oot the buik wis screivit in Scots an the war nae Gaelic nor English vairsions tae haund, she wis telt that the buik supplier wis richt definite the buik wis walit unner the Scots Gaelic category. It's oor consait that whit she'd been telt wis Scots/Gaelic but, coorse the / didna mak itsel heard ower the phone. A guid apology for the mistak wis gien tae wir maimber efter the buik kythed an we unnerstaun that the suppliers haes been telt aboot the fankle an speirt tae tak mair tent wi thair wordin frae noo on. Whit are we wantin tae dae for the leid? FREENDS o the Scots language haes lat it be kent aboot a ceevil service high heid ane in Edinburgh that's gey uphaudin o baith the Scots an Gaelic leids. This high heid ane haes threapit the wey Scots gits neist tae naethin frae the Scottish Executive an the Scotland Office, in compare wi whit's gien tae Gaelic, can be pit doon tae the follaein fauts:- 1. Scots language bodies is ower sindert. 2. Scots language upsteerers dinna mak eneuch o a stushie. 3. Scots language bodies canna gar eneuch upsteerers tae mairch oot on a plaint. 4. Scots language bodies dinna pit forrit onie detailed an costit ploys tae lat the government ken exacklie whit we want an hou muckle it's gaun tae cost. 5. Scots language bodies niver daes oniethin ootside the mainstream o eddication. It's no for STW tae gaun ower the richts an wrangs o sic a consait but, the'r aye some water whaur the stirkie droons, an aiblins it winna dae onie herm for us aw tae hae a guid leuk at wirsels an whit we'r ettlin tae dae. ~~~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 £5 peyed ilka September. (£6 furth o United Kinrik) ~~~ooo~~~ Tae See Wirsels Hou Ithers Daes It. AN Irish awned hotel, the Celtic Royal Hotel in Caernarfon, Wales, wis kenspeckle news on the Eurolang wabsteid efter it wis threapit that the hotel's Irish high heid ane haed daured his staff frae speakin Welsh afore non Welsh-speakin veesitors. A plaint wis hauden ootside the hotel ower the week-end an the in-gang wis picketed bi the raicentlie kythed Independent Pairty o Wales that cried on the public tae gie the Celtic Royal a dizzie. The ootcome wis that the management cam oot wi the threap the wis nae conter-Welsh policy, there haedna been onie an there wadna be onie discreemination agin Welsh speakers in the oncome. The convener o the IWP wis gled tae hear thon but eikit they wad be keepin an ee on things tae mak siccar anither plaint wisna wantit. O wad some pouer the giftie gie us tae uphaud wir ain mither tongue in sic a like mainner. ~~~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~~~ Ulster Scots Again. ORD John Laird (or shuid that be Laird John Laird?), telt the raicent UUP conference that the study an learnin o Ulster Scots wis set tae kythe as a univairsitie subjeck, unner ettles tae forder the leid. A new coorse, the maik o the Irish Studies Degree, wis bein biggit up for univairsitie higher level eddication. Ither mauchts bein makit tae forder an uphaud the language wad include pokes o parteeclar learnin graith for schuils, faurer eddication an nicht schuils. Wi aboot a hunner thoosan speakers o the leid, the British an Irish governments peys oot aroond £10 a heid tae forder an uphaud Ulster Scots. Ye'd a thocht the Scottish Executive wad hae taen a richt rid face afore noo efter "forderin" an "uphaudin" the Scots language tae the tune o a hail 9p a heid! Ay, they're richt hertie whan they lauch but we aw ken whit's ahint it aw. Scots speakin tax peyers didna come up the Clyde in a banannie boat. ~~~ooo~~~ Fa's a cliver loon then? KATE Henderson o Pluscarden, near tae Elgin, the toun wi thon kenspeckle knock, wis seekin oot a caird wi thae abuin couthie thochts tae send tae a freend efter thair graduation an, no bein able tae fin sic a thing, juist gaed aheid an makit her ain. Noo she furthsets a reenge o burthday, Yule, no-weel an annivairsery cairds screivit in the Doric (Scots). Follaein on frae this, she haes juist furthset the first in a reenge o wee buikies for bairns, screivit in Scots an cried Fa's The Feel? Aw aboot a Doric speakin quine cried Doris (fit else wad she be cried?) an her wee dug Chairlie, it haes braw illustrations bi hamelt airtist Colin Smith an wis offeecially lenched in Elgin library on the 18t. October. ~~~ooo~~~ Polis Reports. A wee while back in STW Nummer 81 we speirt in "A Guid Chewin For Polis-wumman" if onie o wir maimbers kent whit language oor polis uises whan screivin up thair reports efter contack wi the Scots speakin public. Forbye thon, we screivit tae the Chief Constable o Lothian an Borders Polis anent the same concairns (twa times). At the time o screivin, we hinna heard a peep oot o the Chief Constable but ane o wir ain maimbers haes screivit the follaein letter:- Anent yer screed in Scots Tung Wittins, A Guid Chewin for Polis-wumman: A mind gittin a keek at ane o ma brither's polis reports an bein pleased tae see at the speech hed been taen doon i the oreeginal leid, ie. Glesca Scots. It's hertenin tae hear this but ye canna help wunnerin whit wad hae happened if this polisman or anither like him haed tae gie verbal evidence afore a certain kenspeckle shirra in the Shirra Coort o Stirling. ~~~ooo~~~ Proponed Cross Pairty Group on the Scots Leid. AWBODIE wi an interest i Scots is bidden tae Comatee Room Twa on Wednesday 22nt November at 6pm. Sangs, readins, crack, an a speak aboot the wey forrit. Maet an drink. A whein o bodies workin for the leid wull be tae the fore, amang them the Scots Leid Associe, the Scottish Airts Cooncil, the Scottish National Deictionar Associe, the Scots Language Resource Centre an the Association for Scottish Literary Studies. Gin ye'd like tae gaun but canna, please contack Irene McGugan - [CENSORED: phonenumber]. The abuin e-screive wis pitten oot bi Dave Smith (office o Cathie Peattie MSP) an oniebodie interestit in gaun daesna need onie ither invite. Juist turn up on the day. ~~~ooo~~~ The Cuddie Brae. THE cuddie rins aboot the brae an sniggers? Naw, it's no the same ane but a split new eat-ooterie, cried The Cuddie Brae, that's been biggit juist ootside o Newcraigha village that ligs atween Auld Reekie an the Honest Toun. ~~~ooo~~~ English also spoken. MORRISON an Richards, a firm o Aiberdeen lawyers haes been adverteesin in the Doric (Scots). Jaloused tae be the first time onie legal firm haes uised Scots in an advert, it reads:- "If ye are haein a bit trauchle with the legal snorls o hoose or fairm deals, aboot yer will, or jist wantin a listening lug fin y're nae sair suited wi something or somebody, gie us a phone or come in by. We will speak tae ye in yer ain mother tongue if that's whit ye want, we hiv the book learnin an finger eyn wit tae red oot most snorls. English also spoken." Shuir tae be guid for business. If ye want tae win tae the herts o fowk, ye hiv tae uise the words fowk's herts kens best. Adverteesin haesna juist cleekit on yet tae the fack that screivit Scots grips the ee mair nor English daes cause it's no whit fowk expecks tae see but whan they dae, it's juist like meetin up wi an auld freend. ~~~ooo~~~ The Robert Fergusson Society. THE abuin associe ettles tae uphaud an hain the mindin o the kenspeckle poet, Robert Fergusson (1750 – 1774). Ilka year, maimbers ligs a wreath on the lair whaur he's yirdit in the Canongate kirkyaird aneath a copie o the heidstane pitten up an peyed for bi Robert Burns. This is follaed bi haudin a supper tae mind his life an wark. The associe haes pitten oot a wabsteid on www.robertfergusson.com whaur they ettle tae gie as monie fowk as possible, free inlat tae oreeginal prentit texts, poems, essays, biographies an that. For exemplar, copies o the first an anelie edeetion o Fergusson's poems, prentit in 1773 an copies forbye taen frae Sommers' "Life of Fergusson" furthset in 1803. It's howped an aw that they micht can furthset a new edeetion o aw his poems. Coorse, aw thae ongauns costs siller sae the associe is seekin tae big up its maimbership. Maimbership subscreivins rins frae ilka Januar 1t, an costs £10 (£5 for ful time collegianers). Contack can be gotten bi e-screive on [CENSORED: emailaddress] or bi post at:- The Robert Fergusson Society, [CENSORED: postaladdress]. ~~~ooo~~~ Freends o Robert Fergusson. ANITHER curn o fowk ettlin tae forder an uphaud fowks' awaurness an prizin o Robert Fergusson is the abuin Freends o Robert Fergusson. Thair heidmaist ettle is tae ingaither siller tae hae a statue o the poet pitten up somewhaur in the capital an they've proponed tae haud a press conference on Friday 27t October tae braidcast thair campaine. Oniebodie intrestit tae fin oot mair shuid contack Dave Purdie at:- 12 Mayburn Vale, Loanheid, Midlothian, EH20 9HH. or 0131 440 1051 Makars' Neuk Here chapman billies tak their stand, An shaw their bonny wallies; Wow, but they lie fu gleg aff hand To trick the silly fallows: Heh, Sirs! what cairds an tinklers come, An ne'er-do-weel horse-coupers, An spae-wives fenzying to be dumb, Wi aw siclike landloupers, To thrive that day. Robert Fergusson (1750-74) This work is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. The SCOTS Project and the University of Glasgow do not necessarily endorse, support or recommend the views expressed in this document. Information about document and author: Text Text audience Audience size: N/A Text details Method of composition: N/A Word count: 2306 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: English Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: At work Language: German Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: In Germany to communicate with two grandsons Language: Scots Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: Wherever Scots is understood