LL-L: "Grammar" LOWLANDS-L, 10.OCT.2001 (02) [S]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 10.OCT.2001 (02) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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From: Sandy Fleming [sandy at scotstext.org]
Subject: "Grammar"

> From: Andy.Eagle at t-online.de (Andy Eagle)
> Subject: "Grammar" [S]
>
> The problem wi poetry o coourse is the writers ain 'airtistic leecense'.
> Whiles mixin 'English' an Scots forms for tae mak a rhyme.
> Is 'foes' no faes in Scots? but o coorse faes disna rhyme wi 'nose'. Whit
> aboot follae (follow) an hollow?

A aye taks the approach o chaingin the spellin as little as A can - A micht
weel lat "foes" staun for that the ar a kenspeckle [o:]/[e:] dichotomy in
Scots (eg loaf/laif, roar/rair, but A'v fund that this kin o thing can be
settled gey aften bi leukin at the hale body o wark o that makar tae see
what Scots forms they div uize. If a makar writes "foes", for example, ye
micht weel finnd he writes "faes" some ither place, an A try an mak it
consistent.

> Bi chaingin thon ye michht be guddlin wi a bodie's intent. Difficult ane A
> ken. Spellins is ae thing - it bides the selsame bit o writin - chyngin
> grammer chynges mair nor juist spellins.

Ay, A mibbie didna mak masel clear, but tho A'm "hardwirin" spellin
corrections in, chainges o grammar'll be offered as a option (ie sneck on a
button for tae sort the  grammar aa ootthrou the displayed text), sae the
question o whether tae dae it or no disna come up - it's juist a question o
what's the best wey o daein'd.

> While fops in saft Italian verse(s)
> Ilk fair anes een an breist rehearse(s)

Weel ay, but apairt fae the fact that "verse" here isna really ettled as the
singular o "verses", this sang's meant tae be sung tae the tune o Dainty
Davie! (=Their Wis a Lad wis Born in Kyle).

> A jalouse Burns wis uisin HADST THOU for effect tae shaw
> 'preachin' is mynt.
> At the time thare wisna a readily available Scots Bible tae lift a model
> fae.
> Gin ye chynge thon ye micht be chyngin whit Burns wis mynt tae pit ower.

A'm agreed, but ye can tak a mair "what if" approach. Like, "What if Scots
haed aye been tocht in the schuils? Then thae folk wad a written better
grammar." Likwice, "What if thae Scots Bibles haed been uized? Then Burns's
idea wad A been tae uize the Scots form o biblical diction."

At ony rate, like A says, this'll be a option, sae A dinna see ony herm in
chaingin it, it's juist a question o hou far tae gang.

> Juist acause it soonds the maist 'naitural' Scots tho 'thoo' haes
> niver been
> a pairt o ma speak (A ken it wis ordinar whan RB wis aboot).

This gits on tae ane o the raesons for wantin tae dae this kin o thing at
aa - the'r the fack that mony o thae poems, an espeecially the Tam
O'Shanter, is gey popular for recitations, an even tho "thou" micht no turn
up in modern spaek, a reciter could weel dae wi poetry written mair naitral,
espeecially a native spaeker, that A think's bound tae finnd the richt
grammar far lichter on the tongue than the anglified vairsions.

Onywey, thanks for the thochts, Andy - A'm takkin tent o aathing!

Sandy
http://scotstext.org
A dinna dout him, for he says that he
On nae accoont wad ever tell a lee.
                          - C.W.Wade,
                    'The Adventures o McNab'

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