From: erobert52@...
Message: 13651
Date: 2002-05-07
A wad be a Scots taakar bidean in Norlin Airlann an cudna say but thon's a
gey fair review o the wey leids in the Britis Isles is cum on. Ye ar aiblans
juist richt pittan the quaiston owre nummer 12, we canna juist be richtlie
shuir yet whit wey fowk cam tae Scotlann an the north o Airlann.
A wad say juist at Scots *wis* thocht on as a saiprit leid frae the Inglis
(or 'Sudron') whaniver Scotlann wis a saiprit kintra. The'r records o fowk
taakan o differ leids. In Airlann, clerks wis taen on at Dublin Castle in
the 16t centurie for tae gie repones tae screeds frae the north, for thay
cudna unnerstannd the langage thay war writ in.
The readers ae this list shuid tak tent that a gey mony words that is
yaised in 'Scots' texts bae maistly learner enthusiasts in modren
times ur words whit deed oot hunners ae years ago (lik 'leid' an
'repones') pit alang wi anglicisms lik 'unnerstannd' (whun the real
word fur native speakers lik masel is aye 'unnerstaun'), aw in bizarre
spellins design't tae luik nocht lik English, whun aften they ur juist
the same word, either borriet aff the English word, or said the same
or nearly the same (e.g. 'said' = /sed/, insteed ae English /sEd/).
Modren Scots is increasinly influence't bae English. Thar's nae need
tae kid on it isnae. It's a leevin language onywey. At least whaur Ah
come fae it is.
[Translation (or 'owresettin', as fowk lik Maister Parsley wid hae it)
consider't unnecessary]
Ed Robertson