Airticles tagged “Opinion”
Scots: an ayebidin kist o Scotland aforesyne
Thochts anent the unique role o the Scots leid in Scotland’s bygane, and whit wey it haes a gey special role tae play in communicatin Scotland’s heritage the day. Scots is Scotland’s past Scots can niver be juist a medium throu which tae communicate Scotland’s past — for Scots is Scotland’s past. Hale centuries o Scottish history haes taen place in the Scots language; hunners o thoosands o Scots haes …
Halloween
Ah hiv lang been thirlt tae the idea that keepin awa the ghaisties said tae flee aboot in the mirk on 31 October shuid be nae mair than a semple wee acknowledgement o the auld conventions; cairit oot in an aroond the hoose, on ae particlar nicht wi the bairns an faimily thegither. In ma ain young days, there warnae ony Halloween pairties ootwith o fowk’s hooses or on ither …
Braw lads an soor plooms: on the mairch in Galashiels
Aboot the first thing that happens whan we get tae the mairch is that we get pit in chairge. Weel, kind o. Yin o the organisers comes joggin taewarts us across the gress, asks if we’ll be stewards. Me, ah cry aff; ah’m here tae write aboot the mairch, no tae rin it, an ah’m gey shuir ah’ll no hae onything positive tae say bi the fínish. Ah’v no been …
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 aither Laitin or French at appeared in Scots aroond echty year afore it did in English.
Daein it yersel
Onybody keekin roond the door yestreen an seein me laid oot on ma back on the fluir, heid ablo the computer desk, could be forgien for thinkin tae theirsel, ‘O Goad, she’s deid!’ But than they wad hear the sweirin an ken it wis juist me lyin amang the stourie taigle o wires ahint the prenter tryin wi baith haunds tae wrassle oot yet anither o ma crushed, manky cairds grippit like a vice atween the machine rowers.
Anent hou I cam tae be slitterin aboot wi the prenter in the first place, I hae tae gae back a week or twa. Ye see, it haed come tae me that I micht hae a shottie at makkin ma ain Yuil cairds!