So, have you ever heard of the Scots language, or Doric, one of its main dialects? If you live in the British Isles and Ireland, you’ve probably heard of it (whether if you knew it had a name or not!).
It is debated as to whether Scots is its own language or not. I’ve lived a considerable time in Aberdeen (where the Doric dialect is spoken) and I think it has such a beautiful rhythm and sound to it (not all may agree however! ).
And all of a sudden, today, I had a thought… are there ANY meet up groups for Doric? I’ve wanted to try my hand at learning Doric, but it appears that the learning ecosystem is a bit fragmented. And then I remembered SSi!
I think Scots, whether if it is its own language or not, should be embraced, for its linguistical, and especially literary, significance. I think SSI would be a great platform for learning this wonderful language (I suppose I do believe it is its own language, although I think its more common to hear a mixing of English + Scots).
Who’d be willing to learn a wee bit of Scots with me? I highly recommend giving the Wikipedia article a read over (linked at the top), because you may be surprised and delighted with what you’d learn about Scots!
I lived in Aberdeen too (more than ten years ago! seems like yesterday… ) and while there might have been local groups interested in Doric I didn’t see that much of a “movement” to be honest, it seemed more of an academic interest than anything else… I don’t know if you contacted them already but I remember the Institute for Scottish Studies (if that still exists) had an interest in the local dialect, they might be able to get in touch with like-minded people who might be interested in setting up something more consistent…
I’m planning on moving back to the UK (back to Aberdeen, specifically) by January '17. If I can find some people or make some contacts (SSiBorg will be well-tested by then?), then maybe an interested group can be formed to make a SSiScots. I’d love to join a local meet up group, but I like the idea of SSiScots (just rolls off the tongue so well!).
It seemed to me that a lot of Scots (not just in Aberdeen) are very fond of their local dialects. Here is a link to a great talk from a Scottish neuroscientist who advocates for Scots, both from an academic and from-the-heart perspective. I think he’s speaking a mix of English & Scots. The talk is titled We’r Needin tae Talk Aboot Wir Language, which exhibits its unique spelling!
If I am not mistaken, Scots doesn’t have a unified dialect, which can prove difficult to produce a SSiScots course. But I’d love for something to be made.
I’m a Welshman that was schooled (Robert Gordon’s College) and “Universitied” in Aiberdeen. I left when I graduated in 1967 (before the oil industry arrived). I was back just last weekend for a School gathering more than 50 years after my last day at School.
Like you, I grew to value the richness of “Doric” and would claim now to “spik” it fluently. There’s quite a lot of serious academic discussion about the status of “Scots”, "Lalands, “Doric” and, of course “Scots gaelic”. There is even a long and complicated story about how doric came to be called doric, but I have never really got interested in such things. All I know is that these dialects, languages or whatever are rich, cultural treasures which deserve to be preserved or promoted.
I have now retired to Welsh-speaking Wales and am far more likely to say “Ple ti’n byw, ychan” than “Far d’ye bide, min” or “Be’ ti’n 'neud, ferch” rather than “Fit 're ye dee’n, quine?”
One of the best repositaries of Doric in my opinion is the work of Lewis Grassic Gibbons - Scots Quair etc. The Scots works of Sir Walter Scott are also rich in the doric that is now restricted to the North-East of Scotland. In fact I’ve always wondered how a non-Scots speaker can really enjoy such works as Rob Roy.
I’m not sure how this forum can help to promote or preserve Scots/Doric but I’d be interested if anyone can think of a way.
I was educated with my Masters at Aberdeen, and stayed a while after to work & enjoy living in Scotland/Aberdeen. I unfortunately had to come back to the US due to some family concerns, but I’m prepared to go back… And tackle learning some Doric! The fact that the lovely folks at SSi have recently made it over a new hurdle gives me a lot of hope and excitement to see what’s coming for SSi.
Once SSiBorg is fully implemented/tested/etc., I wonder how adding new languages to the platform will work? I love the idea that Cornish and Manx have made some amazing learning content, with more to come. It makes me enthusiastic to see what other languages are coming in the future… Hence why I like the idea of a SSiScots.
I’d be very up for an SSi course based as a starting point on the Quair - since it was the subject of my (incomplete) MPhil…
Yes, we’ll be in a pretty good place by January, definitely - and very supportive of this, although there are obviously going to be some complexities with it.
Yeah I also studied in Aberdeen but I focused on Celtic Languages, so for me Scots Gaelic was my main focus point… I didn’t mind Doric and found it amusing at times, I think I had a pink book at some point called “Teach yourself Doric”,
I remember one of the first thing I was taught during freshers week was “Fit like?” but that was nothing compared to working in a retirement home where pretty much all (old) people spoke Doric and I always took few seconds to understand what they were going on aboot
I think a useful aim would be to prepare people for an interview for a job on a farm so that they can give confident positive answers to the questions.
“Cin ye scrape knapdarlochs, loon?” and
“Cin ye shaw neeps, min?”
Would it be best to break up a course into the various dialects, or into a SSi Braid Scots?
The reason why I’m asking is because I’m not familiar with how ‘fluid’ the dialects are with each other. All I know is I often hear that even Doric in itself is quite noticeably different compared to the other dialects.
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I highly recommend giving the Wikipedia article a read over (linked at the top), because you may be surprised and delighted with what you’d learn about Scots!
) and while there might have been local groups interested in Doric I didn’t see that much of a “movement” to be honest, it seemed more of an academic interest than anything else… I don’t know if you contacted them already but I remember the Institute for Scottish Studies (if that still exists) had an interest in the local dialect, they might be able to get in touch with like-minded people who might be interested in setting up something more consistent…
