LL-L "Language politics" 2008.02.01 (02) [E]

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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 (Zeeuws)

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L O W L A N D S - L  -  30 January 2008 - Volume 02
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From: Helge Tietz <helgetietz at yahoo.com>
Subject: LL-L "Language politics" 2008.01.31 (02) [E]

Hi,

The relationship bewteen Northumberland and Scotland is indeed an intersting
one. Since I have lived in Tyneside for quite a while (and as I got
confirmed yesterday, the way I pronounce English is obviously still very
much derived from there) I would like to add a few observations I made when
living there:

In many ways Northumberland dialect an Tyneside dialect (Geordie) resemble
Lallands Scots and people from outside the UK usually cannot tell the
difference while a local Scot and Northumbrian actually can. Then again, the
differences which exist seems to stem from internal developments in recent
years, most notable the post-vocalic-r pronunciation (the
Northumberland-brrr) dissapearing from Tyneside while Lalland Scots incl.
Edinburgh has retained.it. Hundered years ago post-vocalic-r pronunciation
was apparantly a common feature of Tyneside speech as well, I haven't heard
it anymore and neither did I detect it from speakers in surrouning
Northumberland or County Durham. But this immediatly changes once crossing
the border north of Berwick upon Tweed where post-vocalic-r pronunciation is
the standard. Disappearance of the Northumberladn brrr is probably a
concession to RP but interstingly, apart from this no other concessions have
occured in Tyneside dialect and it is still common to hear the dialect
spoken throughout the "toon" and its surroundings. In a way it seems that
the popular Tyneside speech has been taken over by the rest of
Northumberland as a status symbol but the loyality to Tyneside immediatly
stops at the border where Edinburgh speech is attached to status. Carlisle
dialect in Cumbria usually belongs to Northumbrian as well but it is a
dialect apart, it almost differs as much from Tyneside as Edinburgh does
though it is not like Cumbrian dialect which is more akin to Lancashire with
plenty of old-norse words and expressions in it. Politically I would expect
the Scottish borderland-inhabitants to be fairly open to be categorized as
Northumbrian along with Northumberland and Tyneside but I have my doubts
that the people in Northumberland and Tyneside feel much for such a
proposal. They form pretty much a unit on their own and they regard the way
they pronounce English as almost another standard besides RP, American
English, Australian English etc. but in doubt they definitely prefer to be
categorized as English rather than Scots. But again, this could change if
England itself would be devided into regions with wide-ranging powers as
some suggest, regional conscience would get a boost and this could
subsequently lead to more autnonmous thinking in Northumberland and the
attitude towards Scotland could change. But it would never result in
Northumberland joining Scotland, only as two equal partners alongside. Or am
I am wrong here, dear Geordies and Borderland Scots?

Helge

•

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