XPost: soc.culture.welsh, soc.culture.cornish, soc.culture.irish   
   XPost: soc.culture.scottish   
   From: micheil@shaw.ca   
      
   On Sat, 18 Aug 2007 22:06:08 GMT, "allan connochie"   
    wrote:   
      
   >   
   >"The Highlander"  wrote in message   
   >news:sujec31digqv0uma9ssd6fbq9gpkvet2uh@4ax.com...   
   >> 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!   
   >   
   >   
   >I don't think Westprog is meaning anything by it. He seems to think writing   
   >in Scots is phonetic writing but that is probably because he doesn't know   
   >that it is usually (apart from Leonard etc) simply following existing and   
   >long standing convention. Back to Dunbar as McDairmid said.   
   >   
   >   
   >Allan   
   >   
   Ah!  Thank you.   
      
   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)