LL-L "Language varieties" 2003.04.29 (02) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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L O W L A N D S - L * 29.APR.2003 (02) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian B=Brabantish D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian
L=Limburgish LS=Lowlands Saxon (Low German) N=Northumbrian
S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic V=(West)Flemish Z=Zeelandic (Zeêuws)
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From:  "Andy \(Scots-Online\)" <andy at scots-online.org>
Subject: LL-L "Language varieties" 2003.04.28 (07) [E]

Uilleam Stiùbhart wrote:

> I often hear debates going on in the Celtic (not linguistic but
> cultural) community about the validity of Scots as a separate language
> from
> English. Being less of an expert, I'm not informed enough to say why
> Scots is a separate language from English. So, here is my question: Is
> Scots a separate language from English? Why?

You first have to be sure what is meant by Scots. Scots is not English
with
a Scottish accent.
I recently read a paper that used the Film Trainspotting as a basis for
deciding if Scots was a separate language - the conclusion of course was
it
isn't . Clearly a pointless excercise since the film clearly used Scots
influenced English. In the same way it would be ridiculous to decide
that
Irish isn't a seperate language from English on the basis of a film in
Hiberno-English. It would simply be Irish influenced English.
Some circles propagate the notion of "accessible modern Scots" This is
often
not much more than badly spelled standard English with a few Scotticisms
thrown in. At best Scots influenced English. On the basis of such one
could
claim that Hiberno-English is in fact "accessible modern Irish". Clearly
a
nonsense.

At the end of the day Scots is a separate language from English because
some
people say it is, in the same way that:
Czech is a different language from Slovak
Norwegian is a different language from Danish
Catalan is a different language from Spanish
Spanish is a different language from Poruguese
Scots Gaelic is a different language from Irish

For more see
http://www.scots-online.org/grammar/lang.htm

Andy Eagle

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