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Page 1 Openlearnworks Unit 4: Dialect Diversity Bbyy Bbruuccee OpenLearn Works Unit 4: Dialect diversity by Bruce Eunson Copyright © 2018 The Open University 2 of 23 http://www.open.edu/openlearncreate/course/view.php?id=2705 Tuesday 7 January 2020 Contents Introduction 4 4. Introductory handsel 4 4.1 The Scots dialect of the Shetland Isles 7 4.2 Dialects of Scots in today’s Scotland 9 4.3 A brief history of the Shetland dialect 12 4.4 Dialect diversity and bilingualism 15 4.5 The 2011 Census 19 Further research 22 References 23 Acknowledgements 23 3 of 23 http://www.open.edu/openlearncreate/course/view.php?id=2705 Tuesday 7 January 2020 Introduction Introduction In this unit you will learn about dialect diversity within Scots language. Like many languages, Scots is spoken and written in a variety of regional dialects. This unit will introduce you to these dialects and discuss some of the differences that appear between them. The predominance, and history of, the dialects of Scots language are particularly important when studying and understanding Scots due to the fact that the language is presently without an acknowledged written standard. Whilst there are differences between the regional dialects, they are also tied together by common features and similarities. Important details to take notes on throughout this unit: ● The number of Scots language dialects commonly recognised as being used in Scotland today ● The present state of Scots language ● The regard which regional speakers of Scots have for “their” dialect ● The influence of Norn (a North Germanic language belonging to the same group as Norwegian) on Scots language and the different dialects today ● The census of Scotland in March 2011, which asked for the first time in its history whether people could speak, read, write or understand Scots. Activity 1 Before commencing your study of this unit, you may wish to jot down some thoughts on any of the five important details we suggest you take notes on throughout this unit. You could write down what you already know about each/any of these five points, as well as any assumption or question you might have. You will revisit these initial thoughts again when you come to the end of the unit. Provide your answer... 4. Introductory handsel A Scots word and example sentence to learn: Kist Definition: A chest, box, trunk, coffer, esp. a (farm-)servant's trunk. ○ Example sentence: “We had ta howk a muckle hole ta bury the kist ithin...” ○ English translation: “We had to dig a big hole to bury the box in...” 4 of 23 http://www.open.edu/openlearncreate/course/view.php?id=2705 Tuesday 7 January 2020 4. Introductory handsel Activity 2 Click to hear the sentence above read by a Scots speaker. You can then make your own recording and play it back to check your pronunciation. Voice Recorder is not available in this format. Go to the Dictionary of the Scots Language for a full definition of the word Treasure chest Language links Please note that the word kist is another example of the close links the Scots language has with other European languages. In this case, it is the German language. The German language has the word die Kiste, which means a box made of sturdy materials, very often wood. A Kiste is an object that often has a way of securing the lid in order to lock it. It was derived from the Latin cista – Kiste and introduced into the German language in the 12th century. Related word: Howk Definition: 1. To dig, delve the soil. ○ Example sentence: He made a pit an howkit deep. ○ English translation: He made a pit and dug deep. Activity 3 Click to hear the sentence above read by a Scots speaker. You can then make your own recording and play it back to check your pronunciation. Voice Recorder is not available in this format. Go to the Dictionary of the Scots Language for a full definition of the word 5 of 23 http://www.open.edu/openlearncreate/course/view.php?id=2705 Tuesday 7 January 2020 4. Introductory handsel Gardening – wood engraving 6 of 23 http://www.open.edu/openlearncreate/course/view.php?id=2705 Tuesday 7 January 2020 4.1 The Scots dialect of the Shetland Isles 4.1 The Scots dialect of the Shetland Isles The text below will tell you about the history of Shetland, looking specifically at this one dialect of Scots, and the details which have shaped the linguistic features of the Isles. The related activities will assist you in developing your knowledge of dialect diversity and understanding of Scots language. Learning about the dialect of Scots spoken in the Shetland Isles is also important for understanding the influence of Norn on Scots language. Activity 4 Search the online Dictionary of the Scots Language (DSL) for the two words quoted in section 1, kist and howk. Because of the dialect diversity present in Scotland, the DSL lists where Scots words have been used and spelled differently in different parts of the country. a. Read the quotations in the DSL for howk. Find the reference for Shetland indicated by the abbreviation (Sh.) and note it in the textbox along with the translation. b. Then list other spellings of howk and note down the regional dialect or area where this spelling was found. What changes in the different spellings? Provide your answer... Answer a. hock, hok(k) (Sh.); Sh. 1888 B. R. Anderson, Broken Lights. “He made a pit, an' hockit deep.” English translation: “He made a pit, and dug deep.” b. hoke – Wigtown houck – Edinburgh howck – Ayr hock, hok(k) – Shetland hauk – Orkney huck – Glasgow 7 of 23 http://www.open.edu/openlearncreate/course/view.php?id=2705 Tuesday 7 January 2020 4.1 The Scots dialect of the Shetland Isles The vowel changes from monophthong hoke [hok] to the diphthong hauk [hʌuk]. The length of the vowel changes as well from the short hock/kk [hɔk] to the longer hoke [hok]. It is interesting to see that in the very south and north of Scotland the vowel in howk is pronounced as a monophthong, whereas in more central areas of Scotland it is pronounced as a diphthong. Language links Scots, like all other languages, has a number of different dialects. These can be distinguished by different sounds and pronunciation of words as well as different vocabulary and sometimes even grammar. For example, the German language, which is historically closely related to Scots, has a wide range of dialects from the Franken and Schwabian German in the South to Plattdeutsch in the North. People from these areas often have to revert to speaking standard German to be able to understand each other. These dialects are mostly spoken and hardly ever appear in printed form. The difference between Scots and German is that German has a mutually agreed standard form, Hochdeutsch, which is the standard in written communication in Germany, whereas Scots mainly exists in the form of dialects and does not have an officially accepted standard. 8 of 23 http://www.open.edu/openlearncreate/course/view.php?id=2705 Tuesday 7 January 2020 4.2 Dialects of Scots in today’s Scotland 4.2 Dialects of Scots in today’s Scotland This section will draw your attention to the different dialects within the Scots language and their role and meaning for the speakers of these dialects. Over 30 years ago, prominent Scots activist and acknowledged authority on the language, Billy Kay, wrote, “the myth that Scots is only intelligible within a short radius and that one dialect speaker cannot communicate with another one from a different area has also resulted in a reduction in the use of Scots and a reinforcing of the local rather than the national identity with the tongue. I have heard many Scots-speakers say that they are only comfortable talking Scots to someone from the same locality. With everyone conditioned to some extent by official disdain for the tongue, it takes a strong person to speak Scots in a formal situation where people may classify them according to one or other stereotype as coarse or uneducated...” (Kay, B. Scots: The Mither Tongue, 1986, pp. 150-151) Kay’s comments are as true today as they were then. Despite recent developments, such as the Scottish Government launching a Scots Language Policy in 2015, the years of low status afforded to Scots at a national level, are one reason why in some areas of Scotland an increased feeling of pride has developed for the various regional dialects of Scots. An essential lesson in learning about Scots language is that the top 2 local authority areas for percentage of Scots speakers identified in the 2011 Census, Shetland and Aberdeenshire, are both places where the Scots speakers are not in the habit of describing themselves as “Scots” speakers – but as speakers of “Shetland dialect” and “Doric” respectively. This section will describe and discuss some of the factors for how, and why, this is the case. Activity 5 In this activity you will learn about the 10 dialects of Scots that are considered the ‘main’ dialects. First of all, study the map of Scotland below and try to work out which are the different areas of dialect. Now drag the names of the dialects to their correct position on the map. Interactive content is not available in this format. Discussion Please note: In some categorisations, Ulster Scots is added to the listings of Scots dialects. It is spoken primarily by the descendants of Scottish settlers in the regions of Ulster, and particularly counties Antrim, Down and Donegal in Northern Ireland.
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