LL-L "Orthography" 2002.02.22 (10) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 22.FEB.2002 (10) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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 A=Afrikaans Ap=Appalachian D=Dutch E=English F=Frisian L=Limburgish
 LS=Low Saxon (Low German) S=Scots Sh=Shetlandic Z=Zeelandic (Zeeuws)
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From: Sandy Fleming [sandy at scotstext.org]
Subject: "Orthography"

> From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
> Subject: Orthography
>
> I realize that, as in English, the final, "silent" <e> indicates that
> the preceding vowel is "long" (which in English and Scots usually means
> that it is a diphthong).

Actually, Scots is completely different from English in this
respect - long vowels remain undiphthongised in Scots. Thus,
typical Scots words like "hame", "dee'd", "jalouze" /dZ@'lu:z/,
"coal", "shell" and "cauld" all have long vowels, but none have
diphthongs.

On the whole I'd say that compared with standardised English
the phonetics of the Scots language is simpler and more regular
and it's a shame that its orthography has gotten tied in with
that of its more elastic neighbour.

http://scotstext.org
A dinna dout him, for he says that he
On nae accoont wad ever tell a lee.
                          - C.W.Wade,
                    'The Adventures o McNab'

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