LL-L "Language policies" 2002.08.30 (07) [D/E]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 30.AUG.2002 (07) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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From: "John M. Tait" <jmtait at wirhoose.co.uk>
Subject: LL-L "Language policies" 2002.08.26 (07) [E]

Dan wrote:
>
>   Does this resemble the situation of Scots somewhat?

Not exactly - I think there's an intermediate stage which you haven't
mentioned. In Scotland, it is true that in the past, Scots was perceived
as something you would learn anyway, and therefore there wasn't any
perception that it had to be taught. However, there was also no
perception that it was of any value. Just now, in places where Scots is
still very much alive - such as here in the North East - it is widely
perceived to be dying, but there is very little concern about this
except by a very small minority who are only worried about the variety
of their own area. Only in areas where it is _very_ depleted - mainly
Edinburgh - is there a 'movement'.
>
>   If awareness is sparked in those regions where the traditional
>language
>community is still intact, it would probably be helpful to advise and
>nurse-maid the lingustic "reconquista" going on elsewhere with
>understanding, tolerance and support. Saying "what you are doing feels
>weired and artificial" can be perceived as being very discouraging and
>even
>intimidating, despite the fact that it really is "weird and artificial"
>
Firstly, there is no way I know of to spark awareness in communities
where the language is still strong. Secondly, speaking as a speaker of
Scots who is also literate in that language, I have found that the boot
is on the other foot. It is not a case of my finding a linguistic
'reqonquista' artificial. At one time there was a tendency to produce
this sort of artificially reconstituted Scots, but this is now on the
wane, I think. It has been replaced by a _laissez faire_ philosophy
which regards Scots as anything and everything, and which derides those
of us who speak and write natural 'broad' Scots, and would wish to
develop it as other languages are developed, as 'purists',
'prescriptionists', and in private 'sad' and 'head bangers.' In short,
it is not a case of 'reconquistadors' (is there such a word?) not being
tolerated by 'us', it is a case of 'us' not being tolerated by a group
of largely non-speakers of Scots, based mainly in Edinburgh where
perhaps less Scots is spoken than anywhere else in the country excepting
the Highlands, who dominate the so called 'Scots Movement.'

A recent example would be a book published by a James Robertson on the
Scottish Parliament, intended for use in schools as an exemplar of
Scots. Robertson - born in Kent and brought up speaking RP English -
elsewhere rejects any attempt by 'obsessional' people to formalise Scots
spelling, stating that ‘one of the language's very strengths lies in its
flexibility and its less-than-respectable status: writers turn to it
because it offers a refuge for linguistic individualism, anarchism,
nomadism and hedonism... William McIlvanney has spoken of Scots as being
like English in its underwear, stripped of all pretensions, and in some
respects this is very apt.' Yet although Robertson regards Scots as an
intrinsically unrespectable basolect which should be kept in that state
so that writers may 'turn to' it from their normal English to indulge in
a little literary slumming, he has gained a government grant to produce
a book as an example of Scots for schools.

As can be expected of someone who has rejected any formalising of Scots,
when he is faced with writing on a serious subject about Scots all he
can do is a clumsy word-for-word translation from standard English,
preserving all the English grammar and phraseology, including stodgy
officialese. Thus the sentence "Due tae these an ither complications,
the timetable for completion o the wark has skitit several times." is
simply standard English with a few Scots forms slotted in - what Sir
James Murray in his study of the Scots of the borders described as
"English in masquerade." A passable translation of this sentence into
natural Scots might be: "Cause o aa thir fankles, an ither anes forby,
the timetable for feenishin the wark haes been pitten back a puckle
times." (An artificial 'reconstructionist' translation might be
something like ‘Acause o thir an ither complicatiounes, the tid-buird
for completioun o the wurk hes been aftentimes hinderputten.’!)

I don't see what advantage there is in supporting this sort of thing -
Scots written by non-speakers of Scots who dismiss any attempt to learn
or teach the characteristics of Scots as 'purism' and 'prescriptionism',
and who demonstrate the consequences in their own jealously-guarded
incompetence.

John M. Tait.

http://www.wirhoose.co.uk

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