LL-L "Language varieties" 2009.04.10 (05) [E]

[Lowlands-L List]

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L O W L A N D S - L - 10 April 2009 - Volume 05
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From: jmtait <jmtait at wirhoose.co.uk>
Subject: LL-L "Language varieties" 2009.04.10 (01) [E]

Gregg wrote:

Hi John,

Ta so much for them links, much appriciated. I want to learn about it aswell
as learn to to speak it. I dont really have much problem understanding it.
But this may be because of the swedish that I know. But exactly how to speak
it is alot harder.

How come theres a no dialect policy, I think this is disgraceful. Is this
due to the crap and f...ing stupid new money English that come and put their
mark by making people talk like them? I really hate that so much.
Argh!!!!!!!!!! So ignorate. I can't understand why people don't just embrace
language and culture, and why locals are so easily swade by what these folk
say!!!!!! Sorry it really gets to me.

Anyway thanx John, and I presume you are the one who wrote the website. Are
you actually from Shetland or are you a scots? If not then How did you come
to learn it? As I presume you are fluent in it?


I come from Shetland but live in the North East of Scotland, 50 miles North
of Aberdeen, so I speak both Shaetlan and North East Scots (I wouldn't claim
to speak 'Doric' as I don't have a North East accent.)

Regarding the lack of a dialect policy, this is such a complicated subject
that I'd have to write a looong article about it. Arguably, though, the
words 'dialect' and 'policy' are a contradiction in terms. If you regard
your speech as a dialect, you don't need a policy, because dialect is almost
by definition just whatever you happen to speak. On the other hand, if you
raise the status of your speech to a level where it requires a policy, then
it's questionable whether you can continue to regard it as a dialect.

Cheers,

John.

•

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