LL-L "Orthography" 2003.09.20 (02) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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L O W L A N D S - L * 20.SEP.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: Sandy Fleming [sandy at scotstext.org]
Subject: "Orthography"

> Finally, I just came across something in the above discussion that I would
> like to ask Sandy, or other Scots on the list. I have come across
> the Scots
> words _licht_ , _bricht_ (its a bra bricht moonlicht nicht the nicht),
> _nicht_, and _fricht_, [ for English light', 'bright', 'night', 'fright' ]
> but I can't remember hearing the word *_ficht_. Does this word
> exist, or is
> it just because the Scots use other words for 'fight'. By the way, here in
> Lancashire dialect people say: _leet_, _breet_, _neet_, _freet_,
> but we also
> have _feet_. In some people's idiodialects _feet_ meaning _fight_ is a
> homophone of _feet_ meaning _feet_ (plural of foot). I do remember older
> people saying _feyt_ (in Preston).

Firstly, you have to make sure to distinguish between Scots and Scottish
English. In Scottish English the words are pronounced "nite", "brite",
"fite" and might as well be spelled that way, although the diphthong as used
here in Scots isn't pronounced as in English (in Scots and Scottish English
the diphthong in "five" /fa:Iv/ is pronounced differently from the diphthong
in "nine" /n at in/).

The Scots word for "fight" is "fecht" /fE:xt/.

I agree that there are extensive and very obvious simplifications that could
be done to English orthography, and that once the silent "e" had been
eradicated the double letters could be abolished also.

I've been through this argument a few times and this is the point where a
lot of strange creatures emerge from the darkness explaining why double
letters are necessary to show stress, length, time of the next neap tide,
whatever, choosing only the examples of actual spelling that support their
particular argument!

Sandy
http://scotstext.org/

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From: James Fortune <jamesrfortune at hotmail.com>
Subject: LL-L "Orthography" 2003.09.19 (19) [E]

John,
You wrote:
"Finally, I just came across something in the above discussion that I would
like to ask Sandy, or other Scots on the list. I have come across the Scots
words _licht_ , _bricht_ (its a bra bricht moonlicht nicht the nicht),
_nicht_, and _fricht_, [ for English light', 'bright', 'night', 'fright' ]
but I can't remember hearing the word *_ficht_. Does this word exist, or is
it just because the Scots use other words for 'fight'. "

Well, there are 'fecht', 'ficht', and 'feicht' for 'fight'. Past tense is
usually 'focht', and 'faucht'. Within the SE corner of Scotland, we'd tend
to use 'fowt' instead of 'focht' or 'faucht', but that's a Borderer for you!
I guess it's a bit closer to a Northumberland accent than a Central Scottish
one.

We've also got 'stramash', 'rammy', 'argie-bargie' that we can use, although
both 'stramash', and 'rammy' tend to be used to describe a large free for
all in a crowd, and also the after effects of such an event.

Ah the best,
James.

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From: Global Moose Translations <globalmoose at t-online.de>
Subject: LL-L "Orthography" 2003.09.19 (08) [E]

Ron wrote:

> The historic moment was witnessed by none other than the
> notorious fishmonger crone ("An de Eck von de Steenstroot stünd 'n Ollsch
> mit Stint").  I *thought* I had known you previously, Gabriele!

One of my weaker disguises, I admit. It's just that it's sooo hard to make
myself look old and ugly! :-)

Gabriele

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