3.13: What is the Scots language. Who do I contact for more info?

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3.13: What is the Scots language. Who do I contact for more info?

The Scots language is a Germanic language related to English. It is not Celtic, but has been influenced by Gaelic. For more info, write to: John Mackay, Membership Secretary 6 Cairn Walk, Cults Aberdeen, AB1 9TF. Ordinary membership (UK) is 7 pounds a year

There is also some info in the following section:

"The Pocket Guide to Scottish Words: Scots, Gaelic" by Iseabail Macleod. Published by W&R Chambers, Ltd. 43-45 Annandale Street, Edinburgh EH7 4AZ (ISBN 0-550-11834-9). Widely available at bookshops and airports

US distributors Unicorn Limited, Inc. P.O. Box 397 Bruceton Mills, WV 26525 (304) 379-8803

It has "Place names, personal names, food and drink. Scots and Gaelic words explained in handy reference form."

There are 30 pages of Scots words explained. No grammar. It does list a number of interesting sounding books:

SCOTS LANGUAGE DICTIONARIES:

Mairi Robinson, editor-in-chief "The Concise Scots Dictionary" 1985, (Aberdeen University Press) 862pp, a comprehensive one-volume dictionary covering the Scots language from the earliest records to the present day; based largely on:
William Grant, David Murison, editors "The Scottish National Dictionary" 10 vols., 1931-76, the Scots language from 1700 to the present day, and:
Sir William Craigie, A J Aitken et al "A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue" published up to Pr- in 5 vols., 1931-, the Scots language up to 1700.
Alexander Warrack, "Chambers Scots Dictionary" 1911, 717pp.
William Graham, "The Scots Word Book English-Scots, Scots-English Vocabularies" 1977 and 1983, 194pp.

GENERAL SCOTS BOOKS:

A J Aitken, Tom McArthur, eds "Languages of Scotland" 1979, 160pp., a collection of essays on Scots and Gaelic.
David Murison "The Guid Scots Tongue" 1977, 63pp
"The New Testament in Scots" 1983, by W L Lorimer
Just to add to the list of books of/about Scots, one should mention the reprint of P Hately Waddell's _The_Psalms:_Frae_Hebrew_Intil_Scots_ (orig 1871, reprinted with modern introduction 1987 by Aberdeen Univ Press).

I would love to see some instructive writing about the Scots tongue, more than just word-lists. Especially pronunciation, intonation, cadence, etc. as well as grammar.

There are two books that are essential reading on the subject of Scots.

The first is "Scots: the Mither Tongue" by Billy Kay. This is available both in hardback and paperback.

The second is "Why Scots Matters" by J. Derrick McClure. This is more of a booklet than a book, and is an inexpensive paperback.

William Graham, "The Scots Word Book English-Scots, Scots-English Vocabularies" 1977 and 1983, 194pp.

Although the Scots-English part of this is fairly limited, this was once worth having for the English-Scots part, which for a long time was the only one available.

Last year the Scottish National Dictionary Association published its long- awaited "Concise English-Scots Dictionary", which is a far more comprehensive work. Although it still has a number of imperfections, I'd recommend it rather than Graham's work, good in its day as it was.

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