LL-L: "Scots" LOWLANDS-L, 26.NOV.1999 (02) [E/S]

[Lowlands-L Administrator]

 ========================================================================
 L O W L A N D S - L * 26.NOV.1999 (02) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
 Posting Address: <lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org>
 Web Site: <http://www.geocities.com/~sassisch/rhahn//lowlands/>
 User's Manual: <http://www.lsoft.com/manuals/1.8c/userindex.html>
 =========================================================================
 A=Afrikaans, Ap=Appalachean, D=Dutch, E=English, F=Frisian, L=Limburgish
 LS=Low Saxon (Low German), S=Scots, Sh=Shetlandic
 =========================================================================
 You have received this because your account has been subscribed upon
 request. To unsubscribe, please send the command "signoff lowlands-l"
 as message text from the same account to
 <listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org> or sign off at
 <http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html>.
 =========================================================================

From: Sandy Fleming [sandy at fleimin.demon.co.uk]
Subject: "Scots"

> From: Robin Huggett [rhuggett at datasource.net]
> Subject: Scots-doric
>
> Hello,
> I am new to the list. My name is Robin. Im involved in a scottish
> living history
> group (1630's)and would welcome any information about Scots
> during that time
> period anyone might have.
> Thanks.

Hi Robin!

Probably your best bet would be to find some Scots poetry of the period. For
example, "Maggie Lauder" by Frances Sempill of Beltrees goes like this:

Wha wadna be in love
Wi bonnie Maggie Lauder?
A piper met her gaun to Fife,
An speir'd what was't they ca'd her;
Richt scornfully she answered him,
Begone you hallanshaker!
Jog on your gate, you bladderskate,
My name is Maggie Lauder.

As you see, there's not a huge difference between 17th century Scots and
modern Scots, although the pronunciation has changed in the interim. The
vocabulary can also be different - I don't think anyone would say
"hallanshaker" (tramp) these days, and I would say "bletherskite" rather
than "bladderskate", and "jouk" rather than "jog", but there's nothing else
in this verse that wouldn't be heard in modern Scots. This example even
shows the from "gaun" for "going" - often considered a modern corruption,
but found in colloquial Scots literature, including Burns when he writes
dialogue, all the way back. It also shows the same sort of modern
contractions - "was't" for "was it".

Sandy
http://scotstext.org

==================================END======================================
 * Please submit contributions to <lowlands-l at listserv.linguistlist.org>.
 * Contributions will be displayed unedited in digest form.
 * Please display only the relevant parts of quotes in your replies.
 * Commands for automated functions (including "signoff lowlands-l") are
   to be sent to <listserv at listserv.linguistlist.org> or at
   <http://linguistlist.org/subscribing/sub-lowlands-l.html>.
 * Please use only Plain Text format, not Rich Text (HTML) or any other
   type of format, in your submissions
 =========================================================================