LL-L "Grammar" 2010.10.17 (05) [EN]

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L O W L A N D S - L - 17 October 2010 - Volume 05
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From: Sandy Fleming <sandy at fleimin.demon.co.uk>

Subject: LL-L "Grammar" 2010.10.17 (04) [EN]



> From: jmtait <jmtait at wirhoose.co.uk>
> Subject: Language Simplification and Progression.
>
> I wondered what other Lowlanders would think of the view of language
> simplification and progression in this extract from 'Scotspeak - A
> Guide to the Pronunciation of Modern Urban Scots' by Christine
> Robinson and Carol Ann Crawford. (Published by the Scots Language
> Resource Centre.)
>
> Scotspeak, P. 29
>

> If we compare the Scots past tense and past participle of 'gi(v)e',
> which for many speakers are both gied, with the English gave and
> given, we can see that, in this instance, Scots is just a but further
> down the road of simplification.
>
> 'I gied him the ticket.' (Nan)
>
> What Nan is doing in
>
> 'A never telt big John'
>
> is making a weak verb out of tell. Occasionally Scots lags behind. For
> example, many Scots still use 'gotten' as the past participle of get.



Condescending?

Of course in Scots there's also the strong form "gae" (gave, without the
"v").

Why would a linguist say "Thank goodness English is getting simpler"? do
they just feel sorry for the lexicographers who have to explain these
things?

Sandy Fleming
http://scotstext.org/.



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