LL-L "Celtic connections" (was "Scots") 2002.03.29 (04) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 29.MAR.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: Sandy Fleming [sandy at scotstext.org]
Subject: "Scots"

> From: Sylvain Lavoie <elisabeth-sylvain at sympatico.ca>
> Subject: Scots
>
> To be sure, I asked a real Scottish citizen, erudite in languages, what
> it the matter.
> Here is his answer.
>
> "A people called the Scots came from the north of Ireland to the
> south-west of Scotland in the centuries round about the year 500.
> They spoke Gaelic, or at least the old form of Gaelic which is
> called "Old-Irish" in English.  Before that, most of Scotland
> probably spoke a P-Celtic language (like Old-Welsh).  The Scots
> spread, though, and eventually gave their name to the whole of
> Scotland, which was became entirely Gaelic-speaking.

Scotland was never entirely Gaelic-speaking: the Welsh-speaking
kingdom of Lothian, for example, fell directly to the invading
Northumbrians, who brought their Germanic language with them,
without any intermediate Gaelic/Dalriadan phase. Place-name
studies of the Lothians show Gaelic as occupying a narrow strip
of the northwest coast - along to as far as Musselburgh.

Supporters of the idea that Gaelic once covered all of Scotland
depend on extremely dubious evidence. For example, a few snatches
of mock-Gaelic in a Border Ballad is taken as evidence that Gaelic
was actually spoken in the Borders.

As for Brythonic (or "Cymric") in Scotland, I was recently
reading an interesting article in the December 1922 edition
of the Transactions of the Rymour Club, Edinburgh.  It was
"Dumfriesshire Rhymes" by Joseph Laing Waugh, who was writer
in Scots and a native of Dumfriesshire. Those who follow this
sort of thing might be interested in reading some of his
assertions about the language in his own locality:

<quote>
It may be interesting to you to know that in counting the
numerals up to ten the shepherds in the hill districts still
use a speech which by experts is said to be the only remnant
left of a distinct language which is known as the Strathclyde
Cymric. The kingdom of Strathclyde in the seventh century
embraced Cumberland, Westmorland, and the shires of Dumfries,
Ayr, Renfrew, Lanark, and Peebles, and sustained with vicissitudes
its national character for fully 400 years. Its inhabitants were
of two varieties of the British race—-the southern half, including
Dumfriesshire, being inhabited by the Cymrie or Welsh the northern
by the Damonii or Cornish. Its two most important towns were
Carlisle in the south and Dumbarton in the north.

        Zeendi, Hecturi,
        Teendi, Zecturi,
        Taedheri,       Aover,
        Mundheri,       Daover,
        Baombe, Dek.

Strange it is that the only fragment of a tongue spoken for so
long over so large a part of the country should survive only on
the lips of shepherds and old knitting women.
</quote>

I don't know where the assertion that the Damonii were Cornish
comes from, but it's certainly interesting to ponder that a form
of Cornish may once have been spoken in Scotland! Can anyone offer
further enlightenment on this?

For comparison, modern Welsh numbers are:

        Un,             Chwech,
        Dau,            Saith,
        Tri,            Wyth,
        Pedwar, Nau,
        Pump,           Deg.

Modern Cornish numbers are (masculine):

        Onen,           Hwegh,
        Dew,            Seyth,
        Tri,            Eth,
        Peswar, Nau,
        Pymp,           Deg.

Two, three and four also have feminine forms diw, teyr, peder,
showing more clearly the affinity with "taedheri".

It's interesting to note that in Cornish there's the distinction
between "onen" = Scots "ane", and "unn" = Scots "ae". Has this
feature come into Scots from the Brythonic substrate?

The above counting system is still found in children's rhymes in
Scotland (or was until very recently?), eg:

Zeenty-peenty, heathery-mithery,
Bumfy leery over dover;
Saw the King o Heazle-Peasil
Jumpin ower Jerusalem Dyke;
   Black fish, white troot,
   Eerie, oorie, you're oot!

This one gets at least as far as nine, but it misses something
on the way!

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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