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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" align="center"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">===========================================<br>
L O W L A N D S - L - 07 April 2009 - Volume 02<br>
===========================================</span></p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br>
From: <span class="gd"><span style="color: rgb(91, 16, 148);">jmtait</span></span></span><span class="gi"> </span><span class="go"><<a href="mailto:jmtait@wirhoose.co.uk">jmtait@wirhoose.co.uk</a>></span> <br>
Subject: <span class="gi">LL-L "Language varieties" 2009.04.03 (01) [E]</span><br>
<br>
Ron wrote:<br style="">
<br style="">
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: blue;">Dear Lowlanders,<br>
<br>
Lately several people joined us (and welcome to today's newbie from Lancashire!) that indicate Scots and specifically
Shetlandic as their particular interest. However, our Sandy – the rrecent holder-high of the Scots
flag – being currently missing in action, no one seems to be game tto start a
Scots and/or Shetlandic thread. How about it? Dinna be feart, fowk! <br>
<br>
To kick off the game – perhaps – let me find out what the pe prevailing opinion
is among you is. Is Shetlandic a dialect group within the Scots language or
should it be seen as a separate language? The more I look at Shetlandic the
more I wonder if it should not be considered a separate language on account of
its numerous rather very different features, most of which seem to be due to a
Scandinavian (Norn) substratum. And then what about Orcadian? Should the two
together be seen as "Insular Scots"? Should they even <b>be</b>
considered a group?</span></p>
<p style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br>
Are you trying to tempt me out of Lurkerdom, Ron? I should explain to others
that I used to be a frequent contributor to this list, in a former incarnation.<br>
<br>
First of all - does anyone know anything about Sandy? I sent him an e-mail recently and
haven't had a reply. Last I heard from him was just after Xmas.<br>
<br>
Regarding what I used to call 'Shetlandic', I would refer you to my website,
except that I have taken it down meantime. I would refer anyone interested in
reading some random discussion on the topic to this website:<br>
<br>
<a href="http://www.shetlink.com/" target="_blank">http://www.shetlink.com/<br>
<br>
</a>The linguistic forum is subscription-only (a bit like porn! - or so I'm led
to believe, anyway...). You'll have to request membership from the moderators
to gain access to it. My username is DePooperit. Any linguistic threads that
crop up in the main forum get shunted here, including one - in a thread called
'rants' - that began like this:<br>
<br>
"I know I'm probably in the minority here.. but posts made in the Shetland
dialect, <br>
<br>
Christ it takes 3 times as long to read.. then you have to read it again just
to make sure your not about to insult someone unknowingly.. <br>
<br>
Is there a point to it? <br>
<br>
Does it serve a purpose other than to annoy me? <br>
<br>
It is rude.. <br>
<br>
There is a time and a place, and in the middle of serious topics is not the
place imo. "<br>
<br>
The fact that people feel free to make comments such as this in a forum
entitled 'Shetlink' is perhaps a sufficient indication of the status of the
tongue in its native region. I don't know whether the decision of the
moderators to move linguistic threads to a closed forum is a tacit acceptance
of this complaint, or merely a coincidence.<br>
<br>
As far as the term 'Shetlandic' is concerned, to cut a long story short, I have
had so much 'stick' from my fellow Shetlanders for using this term that I have
abandoned it. In fact, for a few years, I have been avoiding the subject
altogether. <br>
<br>
More generally, I think the whole question boils down to whether or not you
agree with this statement:<br>
<br>
'One argument against a standardisation of Scots spelling is that one of the
language's very strengths lies in its flexibility and its less-than-respectable
status: writers turn to it because it offers a refuge for linguistic
individualism, anarchism, nomadism and hedonism... William McIlvanney has
spoken of Scots as being like English in its underwear, stripped of all
pretensions, and in some respects this is very apt.'<br>
<br>
James Roberston, introduction to <i>A Tongue in yer Heid</i>. <br>
<br>
John M. Tait.<span style="color: black;"></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br>
----------<br>
<br>
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">From: R. F. Hahn <</span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" lang="IT"><a href="mailto:sassisch@yahoo.com" target="_blank"><span style="" lang="EN-US">sassisch@yahoo.com</span></a></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">> </span><br>
Subject: Etymology<br>
<br>
Thanks, John.<br style="">
<br style="">
</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: blue;">Are you trying to tempt me out of Lurkerdom, Ron?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;"><br>
Ay, that wis
ane o the ettles. Hoot ay, ye're gey gleg! <br>
<br>
Forby A wis
wantin at laist ane victim fer ma "Scots". ;-)<br>
<br>
I'm still not sure about your view regarding … dare I say it … "Shetlandic"?
But it sure was great to hear from you and it's fantastic to have you back in
our fold. We'll try and keep the annoying parts to a minimum and will always
respect and lap up your knowledge and opinions. We try to be nice.<br>
<br>
As for Our Sandy, he has gotten in touch with me in the meantime. I can report
that he's all right. It's only his old router that isn't, and installing the
new connection is not an easy matter when you live in a small village. But
he'll be back and hopefully his vocal self again soon.<br>
<br>
Welcome back, John!<br>
<br>
Reinhard/Ron<br>
Seattle, USA</span></p>
•
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