LL-L: "Grammar" LOWLANDS-L, 29.JUL.2000 (04) [S]

[Lowlands-L]

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  L O W L A N D S - L * 29.JUL.2000 (04) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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From: John M. Tait [jmtait at altavista.net]
Subject: LL-L: "Grammar" LOWLANDS-L, 27.JUL.2000 (04) [S]

Colin wrate:

>A canna say that A'm haillie wi John here - is there nae a fair distance
>atween fowk seein Scots as "some ither bodie's dialect", an them seein
>it as "a middle-class affectation"?
>
>I think there is, oniewey.

Ay, thare fairly is. Whit I'm ettlin at here is no so much the attitude
itsel, tho, as the effect it clecks. Thare, I dinna think it maks onie
differ.

Cause the'r nae perception o Scots as a hail, the'r nae perception o 'loch'
wi the [x] soond as bein 'richt' Scots. Whither it's haurd as ither fowk's
dialect (whan the likes o yersel says it) or affectation (whan newsreaders
says it) or auld farrant (whan aulder Glesca fowk says it) disna maiter -
it's aye sindered frae ordinar young Glesca fowk's speech. Thay dinna think
on it as thair language, but some ither bodie's. In maist societies, e'en
whaur the language chynges, the'r a conservative trend - for example, whan
Margaret Mead wis lairnin Samoan the bairns pronounced it the 'Kirk' wey,
e'en tho thay didna say it that wey thairsels, cause thay thocht she wad
want ti lairn it 'proper'. Cause only English is thocht ti be 'proper' in
Scotland, the only contrasts is atween this an dialect or sociolect Scots.
Sae, ironically, the English-like pronunciation comes ti be an assertion o
yer identity fornent the tradeitional Scots ane. The reasons micht no be
the same, but the effe!
ct i
s.

John M. Tait.

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