Scots language

[McPole]

Hi. I am writing a 600 word essay on the Scots language and would like to include an anecdote, joke or a play on words, esp. one concerning Scots grammar (please!) or idiom, in the opening paragraph. You see I am not fluent in Scots. I mean a sort of an expression that a Sassenach or an ootlin often confuses (i.e. Glasgow kiss). I would also like to know whether it is true that a lot of Englishmen find it difficult to understand Scots. Please write at noruan@wp.pl Thenks guid fowk! Please Help!!!!!!!

wojtek

[jacobitedreamer]

Dzien dobry!
Your name sounds Polish, so I thought I'd give it a try.
Now, Scots is a difficult thing for many people. I remember two situations: One was my English teacher who was completely unable to understand Robert Burns' poems, the second is an Anglo-American friend of mine coming over for a visit. I wanted her to watch a video of Billy Connolly, a famous actor, singer and comedian from Glasgow. Hehehe! She did only understand a few fragments, that was all...

Here is a wordgame about Scots, I hope you like it, but you need to read it aloud in order to understand:

Whit's the difference 'tween Frank Sinatra and Walt Disney?
A: Frank sings, Walt disnae (doesn't).

Now, as an example of Scots, you can take a folksong, if you want:

Piper, quo she, hae ye yer bags, hae ye yer drones in order?
Gin ye be Rab, ah've herd o' ye - live ye no on the border?
The maidens aw baith near an far hae herd o' Rab the ranter,
Ah'll shak mah fit richt guide will gin ye blaw up yer chanter.

Translation:

Piper, she asked, do you have your bags and drone in order?
Are you not Rob, I have heard of you, don't you live at the border? All the maidens near and far have heard of Rob the Rover, I'll shake my feet with right delight if you blow up your chanter.

Or this one, a bit easier to understand, from a Jacobite song:

As we cam in by Auchterdoun
jist a wee bit frae the toon
tae the Hielans I wus buin
Tae view the Haughs of Cromdale
I met a man in tartan trews,
speired at him whit was the news
quo he "The Hielan airmie rues
that e'er we cam tae Cromdale"

Tranlation:

As we came by Auchterdoun,
just a little outside the town
I was bound to go to the Highlands
to see the heights of Cromdale.
I met a man in tartan trousers
and asked him what were the news,
he cried "The Highland army regrets
to have ever come to Cromdale".

Hope this was of some help...

[galadriel27]

jacobite,
You are a knowledgeable creature.
I loved the translations! hehehe.

[The_Lowlander]

How about:-'ye ony honey","naw a hunny ony'
or in English
'do you have any honey','no i don't'
....Not quite as funny in English.

[jacobitedreamer]

I should turn red now, shouldn´t I?

Well, I love languages and Polish is a hobby of mine, while Gaelic and Scots are my obsession. You will have to tackle some Scots, too, when you move over, eh? Hehehe! We´ll help you!