LL-L: "Language politics" LOWLANDS-L, 17.JAN.2000 (03) [E]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 17.JAN.2000 (03) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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From: Sandy Fleming [sandy at fleimin.demon.co.uk]
Subject: "Language politics"

> From: "Ian James Parsley" <parsleyij at yahoo.com>
> Subject: "Language Policies"

> about supply and demand. There is quite simply more demand for
> the signpost on
> entry to Scotland to read "Ceud Mile Failte" than "Walcome" (the

I don't know the situation in NI or the Shetlands, but I can't help feeling
that asking for signage in Scots is a bit premature just now. Orthography
(Walcome/Walcum ti/til/to/tae Scotland/Scotlan)? Vocabulary
(entrance/ingang, exit/ootgang, reception/innins desk)? Dialect
(What/Whit/Fit/Fat we/oo is/ar dae for oor/wir customers)? Even grammar
could be a problem with the way most Scots activists seem to unconsciously
write English (Why no caa us nou?).

I would suggest that 20th Century (thank God it's over!) Scots activists
have completely confused all possible issues and the only solution I can see
is to return to the traditional Scots of earlier centuries and start weeding
out the relatively few idiosyncrasies of those earlier writers in a less
heavy-handed and more knowledgeable way.

At any rate, I can't see signage in Scots as a viable option on the mainland
right now.

Sandy
http://scotstext.org
http://www.fleimin.demon.co.uk

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