XPost: soc.culture.welsh, soc.culture.cornish, soc.culture.irish   
   XPost: soc.culture.scottish   
   From: allan@noemail.co.uk   
      
   "Westprog"  wrote in message   
   news:fa1psk$cko$1@news.datemas.de...   
   >   
   > "Féachadóir"  wrote in message   
   > news:ta87c3l9qr57d887qg9m7m2q8rfqkjsrt0@4ax.com...   
   > ...   
   >> >I think the idea that there are two separate things, one of which is the   
   >> >language "Lowland Scots", and the other English spoken with an accent,   
   >> >doesn't really bear close examination. There's a spectrum. There are   
   > plenty   
   >> >of sub-dialects as well.   
   >   
   >> Usenetters rush in, where linguists fear to tread.   
   >   
   >> Defining the difference between language and dialect is notoriously   
   >> difficult.   
   >   
   > There are a few judgements that the amateur can confidently make. One of   
   > them is that "it's a bit more complicated than that". It always is.   
   >   
   > The reason that it's difficult to define the difference between language   
   > and   
   > dialect is difficult to define is that it's arbitrary. It also doesn't   
   > really matter. It's only important for prestige purposes.   
      
   Well it depends what you mean by prestige purposes? Linguistically the   
   argument of language or dialect may be tenuous but in reality it does make   
   an actual difference. For instance certain langauges are officially   
   recognised as such. That is the likes of Gaelic, Welsh, Cornish and Scots   
   are recognised as minority languages within the UK by all the authorities   
   that matter. In the case of Scots and Gaelic that means by Holyrood,   
   Westminster and Brussels. Hence people can talk about arbitrary this and   
   that but in reality all these modes of speech  mentioned do have at least   
   some level of protection not afforded to the likes of the Northumbrian   
   dialect. Linguistically it perhaps make no sense as Northumbrian is closer   
   to Border Scots than Shetlandic is, yet Border Scots and Shetlandic are   
   recognised as dialects of the Scots language whilst Northumbrian is still   
   thought of as a dialect of English. Logic doesn't always mirror actual   
   reality. Hence it means that some bairns at least should no longer be mocked   
   and admonished by the likes of their teachers simply for speaking their own   
   tongue.   
      
   Allan   
      
      
   Allan   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)