LL-L "Grammar" 2003.01.31 (04) [S]

[Lowlands-L]

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From: John M. Tait <jmtait at wirhoose.co.uk>
Subject: New Subject

Can oniebodie gie me a haund wi the uiss o 'thae' an 'thir'?

Thir (!) maks is no uised in onie o the twa dialects at I speak, an I wis
wonderin aboot hou thay work. In parteecular, ar thay follaed bi a singular
verb, or ar thay actually no follaed directly bi a verb ava? I'v only haurd
thaim in speak comin afore a noun - like 'See thae folk!' - sae I dinna ken
gin some o the weys I see thaim uised in Scots writin is naitural maks or
word-for-word copies o English syntax.

In the North, whaur English 'those' an 'these' wad be uised wi'oot a
follaein noun, we say 'that anes' an 'this anes', for example:

These are bigger than those - This anes is bigger nor that anes

But in written Scots ye whiles come ower phrases like:

Thir ar bigger than/nor thae.

Nou, I wis wonderin if this shoud be juist:

Thir is bigger than/nor thae.

Or gin the uise o 'thir' an 'thae' wi'oot a follaein noun is juist a copy o
the English syntax, an at the naitural uiss wad be somethin like:

Thir anes is bigger than/nor thae anes

Or wad the 'thir' an 'thae' juist no be uised, like an somethin like "See
thaim! Thay'r better nor thaim."

In ither words, is the construction:

Thir/Thae + verb or end o phrase

actually no a Scots construction ava, an is thare aye somethin - like a noun
(eg: Thae mannies is jyners) wi 'anes' whaur the'r nae ither noun nott (Thae
anes is jyners) at shoud come efter Thir/Thae, or atween thaim an the verb,
juist like it dis wi This an That?

John M. Tait.

http://www.wirhoose.co.uk

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