Posts scrieved bi Jamie Smith
The dingin doun o devolution
I laith politics. The leeing, the fechting, the pyntless Twitter tulzies. It’s no for me. But pairt o bein a guid cítizen is keepin ae ee, at least some o the time, on what’s gaun on in the seat(s) o pouer. History shaws that politícians canna be trustit and needs tae be hauden tae accoont. It’s in this spírit that I’d like tae scrieve a bit anent the UK government’s …
William Playfair: faither o data visualisation
Ye could say that the Scots gied us the modren warld. The television, telephone, penicillin, logarithms, the first practical radar system and steam engine, free mercat economic theory — inventions or discoveries aw creditit tae Scots. It’s awmaist embarrassin. But maist fowk likely disna ken that the inventor o the time-series line graph, bar chairt and pie chairt wis a Scot an-aw. The graphs sae kenspeckle in economics, science and business the …
Fechts, furnication an sclander: a deek at the auld Edinburgh an Glesca burgh records
The wabsite British History Online haes setten furth in digital form extracts frae the burgh records o 16t an 17t century Edinburgh an Glesca. I haed a bit rake aboot an hae pitten a wheen walins ablo, alang wi glossars for wirds that’s no sae kenspeckle. The’r recordins an aa o me readin thaim oot (in less or mair Modren Scots cause ettlin tae uise the pronunciation o the time …
Effeirin tae the formal: Laitinate lendwirds in Scots
This is a bit follae-up tae my post frae afore, ‘Tap 10 wirds the Scots language haes gien the warld’. Ane o the wirds ben yon piece wis convene, at I notit wis no sae meikle a innovation o Scots as it wis a borraein frae either Laitin or French at appeared in Scots aroond echty year afore it did in English.
Tap 10 wirds the Scots language haes gien the warld
The fowk o Scotland haes aye haed a wey wi wirds, frae the poyetry o the 15t an 16t centuries tae the ‘Scottish people Twitter’ o the day. Sae it’s nae surprise that ower the centuries the Scots language haes gien the warld some braw wirds. Here’s oor tap ten (in nae particular order).