XPost: soc.culture.welsh, soc.culture.cornish, soc.culture.irish   
   XPost: soc.culture.scottish   
   From: micheil@shaw.ca   
      
   On Thu, 16 Aug 2007 22:16:19 GMT, "allan connochie"   
    wrote:   
      
   >   
   >"Westprog"  wrote in message   
   >news:fa220q$6kl$1@news.datemas.de...   
   >> allan connochie wrote:   
   >> ...   
   >>>> There are two aspects to the language - pronunciation and vocabulary.   
   >>   
   >>> You forget grammar!   
   >>   
   >> I didn't forget it, but I forgot to write it down. I'd assumed that Scots   
   >> was grammatically similar to English, but I've no strong basis for that.   
   >   
   >It is grammatically similar but at the same time there are some differences.   
   >   
   >   
   >>   
   >>>> If a   
   >>>> word is pronounced differently in "standard English" and Scots, then   
   >>>> it isn't necessary for it to be written differently. English isn't   
   >>>> spelled phonetically, so a written sentence might be considered as   
   >>>> being Scots, Ulster-Scots or English simply depending on who is   
   >>>> reading it. Vocabulary is   
   >>>> a different matter.   
   >>   
   >>>> I can see why it is necessary for Burns' poetry, or Trainspotting,   
   >>>> to be transcribed phonetically. I don't see the same as being   
   >>>> necessary for the bus timetable. Sometimes the precise rhythms of   
   >>>> the language are important,   
   >>>> sometimes they aren't.   
   >>   
   >>> Most written Scots isn't written phonetically though. One well known   
   >>> poet who does that is Tom Leonard. However though there is no single   
   >>> written standard as such there is a spelling tradition, which in   
   >>> itself is less idiosyncratic than standard English,  going back   
   >>> through the centuries which most writers more or less work with.   
   >>   
   >> I can see it being useful if it's necessary to represent how people are   
   >> speaking, but I don't see it as important when processing a planning   
   >> application for a gazebo.   
   >   
   >   
   >Scots is hardly used in that context. Though if some people wish to use it   
   >then there's no real harm.   
   >   
   >Allan   
   >   
   I am stunned by how calm you remain!   
      
   The Highlander   
   Tilgibh smucaid air do làmhan,   
   togaibh a' bhratach dhubh agus   
   toisichibh a' geàrradh na sgòrnanan!   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)