LL-L: "Mutual comprehension" LOWLANDS-L, 11.JUL.2000 (02) [S]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 11.JUL.2000 (02) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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From: John M. Tait [jmtait at altavista.net]
Subject: LL-L: "Mutual comprehension" 26.JUN.2000 (03) [E/LS/S]

Andy wrate:

>How (hou) in Scots means 'why' an aa.

Dis it, tho? I'v niver haurd 'hou' [hu:/fu:] uised wi the meanin o 'why' - aye
'how' [hou] wi this meanin. In the NE, 'how' micht mean Eng. 'why', but 'foo'
aye means Eng. 'how'.

Mairatower, i the NE I'v niver haurd 'how' uised in a sentence like 'How dis
this happen' meanin 'Why does this happen'. This wad aye be 'Why' or 'Whit
wey' dis this happen. 'How dis this happen' wad forordinar be taen ti mean the
same as Eng. 'How' raither nor 'Why', in Scots as muckle as in English - i.e.,
e'en in a Scots sentence, the word 'how' wad here be taen as the English word,
e'en tho richt Scots wad uise 'hou/foo' insteid. I'v only haurd 'How' wi the
meanin o 'Why' uised as a single-word question in exchanges like:

'Craig, time ti gang hame'
'How?'

No meanin 'bi whit means' but 'whit for'.

Coorse it's possible at 'how' wi the meanin 'why' is uised mair wider in ither
kynds o Scots. Houaniver, I'v aye jaloused at the uiss o 'hou' wi this meanin
is a deleiberate hyper-Scotticisation, bi Scots enthusiasts, o the colloquial
uiss o the English form 'how' in Scotland; an I wadna be surprised ti finnd
oot at (1) naebodie uises 'hou' [hu:/fu:] wi the meanin 'why', an (2) 'how' wi
this meanin is uised only i contexts like the wee bittie speak abuin, no wi
the general meanin o 'why', whaur 'why', 'whit wey' or 'whit for' is uised
raither.

Coorse, this example o 'how'='why' is quotit aa the time as an example o
Scots, an whan it's objectit til bi teachers or judges or whitiver, this is
taen as unfair persecution o Scots speakers. Houaniver, gin 'how'='why' is
only uised in contexts like the abuin, an 'why', 'whit wey' or 'whit for'
ithergates, it coud be at a general connotation o denial is implicit in o't,
an at teachers an siclike is justifeed in caain it cheek!

John M. Tait.

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