LL-L: "Grammar" LOWLANDS-L, 20.JUL.2000 (04) [S]

[Lowlands-L]

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From: John M. Tait [jmtait at altavista.net]
Subject: LL-L: "Grammar" LOWLANDS-L, 13.JUL.2000 (08) [S]

Sandy wrate:

>The trouble wi this is, whaur we ti finnd sic writin ti dae a brek-doun
>o?  Maist Scots writin is that jaupit wi English ae road or anither that ye
>canna richt sort oot the English fae the Scots, even whan we ken fine
>that the writers couldna a spak that wey.

Like I keep sayin, I think the fashion evenou agin prescriptive gremmar is a
sair problem, cause it gars aabody fleer at guidelines for Scots gremmar,
while leavin the English anes mair or less alane. In ither words, business,
schuils, etc. winna thole the trendy 'leeberal' approach ti gremmar an the
like in English, sae the trendies faas back on Scots ti play thairsels wi.

Mysel, I stertit wi Graham an Robertson's Shetlandic Grammar. Frae thare it
wis easy eneuch ti see whit bitties wis general Scots. In Shetlandic writin,
it's maist aften the case at the least leeterary writin - writin at the same
fowk at fleers at gremmar guidelines wad leuk doun thair nebs at frae a
leeterary viewpynt - haes the best gremmar, whaurbyes thaim at's ettlin ti
WRITE faas intae English gremmar. This is likely a sair problem for aabodie
ettlin ti write in Scots.

Lorimer's New Testament gies guid pynters, tae - he maun hae gotten his
wittins frae somewey! Studies o colloquial Scots is guid, tho thay'r maistly
oot o prent an haurd ti get a haud o - I hinna yet managed ti get a haud o
Murray's studies on the dialects o the borders. I dout Andy can get a haud o
mair o thir in Germany! Robertson's gremmar o Ullans is supposed ti be guid,
but again, I hinna gotten ane yet.

Coorse, it coud be at, afore lang, Scots Grammar = Not Scots Grammar. Bi this
I mean, at oniething at we think on as tradeetional Scots will be thocht no ti
be Scots, bi the follaein process (a compilation o pynts I'v come across in
modren leeterary an academic writins):

1. Maist Scots speakers bides in the Wast (this pynt is aften made)

2. This is whaur the tradeetional Scots maks is waekest (e.g. young Glesca
fowk canna say 'loch' - thay say it [lOk] nou - or mibbie [lok] - thay say
this is the Glesca wey ti say it.)

3. It's this kynd o Scots - the kynd at defines workin (or no workin) class
identity in big ceeties - at's celebratit bi (maistly middle class
English-speakin) leeterary critics, efter the fashion for polyphony etc. in
leeterature.

4. Thae kynds o Scots speakers is hostile ti tradeetional Scots, an regairds
words like 'driech' (an likely nou the pronunciation [lOx]) as middle-class
affectations.

5. Bi this process, Scots acceptable ti the leeterary estaiblishment comes ti
be the 'wha wiz tha yiz wiz gonny dae' kynd, whaurbyes the 'Whit wis that ye
wis gaun ti dae' kynd is seen as an airtifeecial attempt ti impose
staundardisation on naitural speak, an the likes o 'The puddock sat on the
lochan's brim' as a teuchter dialect a bittie like Yorkshire dialect is
regairdit bi staundard English.

Bi this process, the combination o staundard an non-staundard Anglicisation at
ye get in Glesca is celebratit as authentic Scots gremmar, an aa ither thing
fleered at as tryin ti growe kail on a causey!

John M. Tait.

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