http://www.scotstext.org/makars/t_whyte_paterson/auld_saws_in_new_scots_sangs.asp

Spekin' Amerikan Englis as eye doo I cannaugh maik oot wa'ev tis sayz.

Seriously, since this is a British site, how many of you are capable of speaking Welsh, Irish Gaelic, Scottish Gaelic, Faeroese, Manx. Really, this is quite a fascinating topic.

It's always been interesting to me how much variety there is in the English language. But then one realises that the English language only dominated over the local languages in GB. While there's some trace elements of Scots in Canadian English {cannaugh pronunciation of cannot} , as well as in the Southern U.S. where British spelling was taught until the 1960's, by and large our colloquialisms are considered bad grammar and discouraged to the point of harassment.

I speak a little bit of Gaelic. The Irish technically speak Irish, not Gaelic. However the two are really similar hence the creation of Scottish Gaelic and Irish Gaelic.

My ex is a fluent Gaelic speaker. Its a dying language here, and I would like to see more of a drive to promote it in Scotland.

As for Scots... I hate that. It reminds me of awful poetry at school.

I don't know it, but I can make out most of what it's saying. It's kind of like reading Shakespeare without the side notes, or a version of Beowulf that is slightly more modern, but not quite as modern as modern English.

Question, qvestions, so many qvestions....

1. Do they teach it in school? If so is it simply taught officially, or is it in standard usage?

2. Do Scots speakers speak Gaeligh, or is Scots simply a variant of English that was imposed upon Gaeligh speakers?

3. Do you have books in Gaeligh, or is it spoken only as a rural vernacular?

4. Is Scots simply a rural dialect like American Appalachian English, Georgia and South Carolina old Southern, Newfie {Newfoundland and Nova Scotia} English, New Orleans, New York and Bostonian city-wide dialects?

5. Are there any media to promote the usage of the language? If so are these a recent invention?

Sometimes here, there are efforts to resurect old "Southron" dialect but very few speak this primarily, as Midwestern English dominates in the U.S. Some people are "play actors" though, and will switch between the two.

1. Do they teach it in school? If so is it simply taught officially, or is it in standard usage? They're taught it as part of the cirriculum in Eire. Not sure about N Ireland. In Scotland its not mandatory either but the Highland Council do promote it and they can take it as Standard Grades and Highers (thats GCSE and one year A-Level). On the west coast of Scotland, Gaelic is generally quite common. The further north you go, the more you see Gaelic road signs etc. When I was in the Western Isles with my ex, all the road signs were in Gaelic.

2. Do Scots speakers speak Gaeligh, or is Scots simply a variant of English that was imposed upon Gaeligh speakers?No. There is Scots (which is your Rabbie Burns type language) and then there is Gaelic. As far as I'm aware, Scots is derived from Anglosaxan English. Whereas Gaelic is derived from a form of Norse. I could be wrong. But they are not from the same original language.

3. Do you have books in Gaeligh, or is it spoken only as a rural vernacular?No, Gaelic has its written form as well. Both Irish and Gaelic do. And they are very similar.

4. Is Scots simply a rural dialect like American Appalachian English, Georgia and South Carolina old Southern, Newfie {Newfoundland and Nova Scotia} English, New Orleans, New York and Bostonian city-wide dialects?Hmmm. Yes and no. Scots is still an influence on local dialect. No-one is gonna walk around Scottish cities saying "ah! Twas a braw bricht moonlicht nicht!" but aspects of it still feature. East coasters are likely to say 'ye ken what I mean eh' which is 'do you know what I mean?' West coasters have a bit more of a Gaelic influence and Scots doesn't really filter into the local dialect. Basically, someone from Edinburgh, Dunfermline, Dundee etc have watered down Scots in their local dialect. Glaswegians are kinda in their own zone with local slang and dialect influence. And Aberdonians are literally from another galaxy

5. Are there any media to promote the usage of the language? If so are these a recent invention?In Scotland there is a huge drive to promote the Gaelic language. Glasgow has a Gaelic school, and there is a Gaelic TV station here. I think only 70,000 are estimated to still speak Gaelic. With the SNP in power I do think there will be more of a drive to promote Gaelic in schools, and Glasgow does have quite a large Gaelic-speaking community. It used to be an uncool language in the 80s/90s but a lot of mainlanders and cityfolk are interested in it, particularly with the whole Scottish devolution and possible independence stuff going on.

bah.

Scottish people outside of Scotland should be followed by a midget holding subtitles.

I can say a few words in welsh

(learning at the moment)

Bore da - good morning

P'nawn da - good afternoon

Nos da - good night

Diolch - thanks

Diolch yn fawr - thank you very much

Dim diolch - no thank you

Iechyd da - Cheers!

and my favourite

Os gwelwch yn da - please

I'm quite clearly spoken ('cept when I'm drunk or angry). We're not all that bad. Smelly Sassenachs, go eat your saveloy and shut it

I prefer battered mars bars

VOMIT VOMIT VOMIT

I know of someone who ate one. Seriously the dipshit thought it would just be a Mars bar wrapped in batter... I'm like DUH - ITS BEEN IN HOT OIL!

Although some people here eat deep fried pizza too. I mean WTF? No wonder we're the sick man of Europe and meant to die of heart disease, cancer or a stroke... Hmmm I love being Scottish...

I ate one

it was lovely

mmmmmmmmmmmm

hooray!!!
It makes me wonder where we'd be without all the heroin....XD

Try reading Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh and it'd help you get the hang of Scots dialect in a modern context. My Mum was Scots so I can follow it ok.

Gaelic is a different thing. I studied the late Celtic period (Scotland/Ireland/Cornwall/Wales) at uni. As I remember (shakily), there are 2 forms of Gaelic, Goidelic (spoken in Ireland/Scotland) and Brythonic (spoken in Wales and Cornwall). The Brythonic form was also spoken in Breton areas of France. I think migration from Ireland took the Goidelic influence into Wales too. There might be a 3rd form but I cant remember it.

The Scots were actually a tribe from Northern Ireland called the Scottii. The Picts were the original Celtic tribe of what is now "Scotland". The Scotti invaded the Hebrides and West of Scotland, taking their own version of Gaelic with them, and eventually having the whole country named after them.

The Norse (ie Vikings) came along shortly afterwards and after a period of raiding, settled heavily in (Faroes obviously), Shetlands, Hebrides  and Isle of Man. They also suprisingly were the founders of Dublin.

Their main genetic and linguistic footprints have been found (apart from Faroes) in Isle of Man and Shetlands. The archaeologists believe that intermarriage etc diluted it in the other areas of settlement.

I should probably stick a disclaimer to my last post about how I am 3/4 Irish....

I prefer battered mars bars

Noyw I ricken I haird 'bout that'un thaw Tony Bourdaine programme.