LL-L: "Language varieties" LOWLANDS-L, 15.MAR.2000 (04) [E]

[Ian James Parsley]

Michael,

I hasten to correct you slightly there (although given the simplified media
coverage, it's an easy mistake to make) - very few Ulster Protestants are of
exclusively Scottish origin (though most of their genes will most likely be
Scottish), they're a bit of a British Isles hybrid, and it's certainly a
vast over-simplification to say they all came over c. 1700 (and they
certainly did NOT come with King James - he was the Catholic one!)

I hasten to add also that many Ulster Catholics ARE in fact of exclusively
Scottish origin (insofar as that's possible), particularly those in the
Glens of Antrim (where Gaelic, in fact, survived into the 20th century, the
only place in what we now call Northern Ireland where it did).

The very point I would make here is that NE Ireland and Scotland have always
had trading exchanges, and indeed several kingdoms have spanned parts of
both. What I am saying is that most people see "Scotland" ending and
"Ireland" beginning at the Irish Sea, but it's nothing like as simple as
that. The transition from Scottish to Irish culture is a gradual one, as is
the shift from Scottish to Irish accent. Looking at place names or family
names in my home town, for example, the outsider would more likely place
himself in "Scotland" than "Ireland" - and would be unlikely to change
his/her mind on hearing people speak!

I would add, historically, that the Northern Irish accent has always been
recorded as notably distinct and more Scottish than the Southern accent -
even before the plantations and in reference to Gaelic. I do not mean to
underplay similarities in all Irish accents, merely to point out
distinctions, even historically, that too often go unnoticed.

A major case for research is that in NE Ulster the accent is almost wholly
Scottish (i.e. it can be mistaken for Scottish even by local linguists) - I
wonder if the culture of the area could be defined as wholly Scottish? I
wonder how the people there view themselves?

Best,
-------------------------------
Ian James Parsley
http://www.gcty.com/parsleyij
"JOY - Jesus, Others, You"