LL-L "Grammar" 2002.08.18 (04) [S]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 18.AUG.2002 (04) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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 A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian L=Limburgish
 LS=Low Saxon (Low German) S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic Z=Zeelandic (Zeeuws)
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From: "John M. Tait" <jmtait at wirhoose.co.uk>
Subject: LL-L "Grammar" 2002.08.13 (06) [E/S]

Sandy wrate:

>A while back (aboot the start o the year, A think), the war a
>discussion forenent verb concord in Scots. The rule o Scots
>verb concord could be pitten like this:
>
>    "A finite verb's aye infleckit (taks a 's') forby strecht
>     efter the pronouns 'A', 'we', 'ye/you' an 'they'."
>
>Sae, for example, we say:
>
>"They aye sings in the kirk."
>
>but:
>
>"They sing in the kirk."
>
>or:
>
>"A think on ma love, an blears ma een wi greetin."
>
>but:
>
>"A think on ma love, an A blear ma een wi greetin."
>
>or:
>
>"I hae tae gang tae the funeral."
>
>but:
>
>"Haes I tae gang tae the funeral?"

In my Shetlandic speak, the verb disna inflect efter pronouns (exceptin
third person an saicont singular, o coorse) even if thay'r sindered
frae't. In ither words, the verb agrees in number wi the pronoun whither
it's richt niest it or no. Sae I wad say 'Dey ey sing i da Kirk'; an
'Hiv I ta gaeng tae da funeral?' Houaniver, Graham's _Grammar and Usage
of the Shetland Dialect_ gies some examples at's mair like the general
rule. This is a bittie peculiar, cause in maist weys, my Shetlandic
speak is gey tradeetional - the same as Graham gies, for uisual - an I
dinna ken if this is somethin at's dee'd oot, or whit.
>
>The rule wants qualifyin on accoont o its the historical
>development tho, in thir weys:
>
>1. Originally, the verb "tae be" wis exempt fae the rule, an
>juist cam ablo the rule gradual. It's like ther's never been
>a time whan it cam ablo the rule aathegither, sae's altho this
>is gey uizual:
>
>"Fowk's no aa bad."
>
>the'r naething wrang wi this, aither:
>
>"Fowk arna aa bad."

This uiss - whaur aa verbs except 'be' follaes the rule - is gey obvious
in some auld texts.

>2. Writers fae Allan Ramsay on, at the least, seems tae a
>maistly ignored Scots verb concord an uized English verb
>concord insteed, likely wi no wantin tae leuk uneducate.
>
>3. Writers that's made a pynt o uizin Scots verb concord
>uizually uizes a simplified form, ignorin sic things as
>non-contact inflections

Coud this be cause it reflects thair naitural speak - like it dis mine?
In ither words, coud the non-contact inflections hae dee'd oot suiner
nor the ither strynds? Or coud the fact at my Shetlandic speak haes tint
thaim, but haesna tint the general uiss o -s verbs wi plural subjects,
suggest that anither rule, whaur verbs aye grees wi pronouns, developed
in _tradeetional_ Shetlandic (an mibbie in ither kynds o Scots as weel -
I dinna think I'v haurd onie non-contact inflections in Doric, tho uiss
o -s verbs wi plural nouns is common) afore an aiblins independent o the
wider tendency ti follae English norms?

 an derivative forms the likes o
>the "Habitual" an "Praisent Historic" tenses in Scots.
>
Apairt frae that, I maun say I hinna a clue aboot hou the Habitual an
Present Historic tenses wad hae come aboot!

John M. Tait.

http://www.wirhoose.co.uk

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