#scots dialect

[ebenelephant]

okay Takin' Over The Asylum peeps, how do we feel about a tota fic written with scots dialect in the prose?

to clarify, this would not be a scots language fic but rather the scots dialectical english which is spoken in the show and by the majority of scots in real life. many of the words would be fairly intelligible to their english counterparts - eg dog vs dug or wis vs was or otherwise easily understood given context. i'm not about to throw a tattiebogle at you apropos of nothing, but campbell might make a joke about somebodies geks in the obvious context of their glasses, yeah?

browsing through the tota tag on ao3, i suddenly became aware that a number of fics have very little scots in them even when they're in campbell's pov, or otherwise have him speaking scots dialect but the prose doesn't support this, and I was thinking a lot about how this in a way alienates the language of the characters in their own stories – especially as I began a wip with this approach. I suppose I was just wondering if non-Scots would persevere?

[haveyoureadthispoem-poll]

"Batman's aff his nut / Have you seen the way he cuts aboot / Dressed up as a mad fuckin bat / Batterin guys..."

Have you read "Batman's Aff His Nut" by Robert Florence?

Yes, before this

Yes, I just followed the link and read this

No, but I recognize the title, author, and/or quote

No, but I've heard of Batman

I've never heard of this

Voting ended onFeb 23, 2024

Read it here | Reblog for a larger sample size!

[ebenelephant]

TOTA fans, are you likely to read a fic written in Scots dialect?

yes, no problem

yes, i'd persevere

i'd give it a fair shot, but may not stick it out

i'd skim first to see how much i understand

generally no, unless the premise hooked me

i'd click off immediately

other/nuance (pls tell me)

Voting ended onOct 7, 2024

As a message to other Scots, it must be clarified that I'm aware that Scots is a language, however I believe that for the reader there's a notable difference between something written in a dialect of the Scots language (eg Deep Wheel Orcadia, which is in Orcadian Scots) versus something written in a blended Scots dialect of English (eg something between The Panopticon, which has a weak prose dialect, and Trainspotting, which is a mix of Scots Dialect English and Scots Language)

[aquarian-sunchild]

'It's aboot the labour', William Letford, published in Bevel, 2012

[matchaghostie]

Acceptable spellings: dinnae, dinny

Unacceptable spellings: dinna

[thebibliosphere]

Dinnae Fash.

So, just to address something because this has been brought to my attention. I’ve had a follower message me about my use of AAVE (African American Vernacular English) and how it makes them uncomfortable because although I am Nice and they love me, I am a White Woman and should not be using it.

And like, at first I thought they were kidding because ???? and there was some minor annoyance and hurt that occurred when I tried to protest that I have never intentionally used AAVE in my life, until it escalated and I was linked to a post and then embarrassed hilarity ensued when I was forced to point out, I was not in fact using AAVE, I was using SCOTS DIALECT.

So.

Just to clarify.

You’re not always going to see Perfect English on this blog, because while I am indeed a White Woman, I am also not American, nor am I English. I am Scottish, and sometimes slip into a phonetic way of typing because that’s the way me and my fellow Scottish friends talk to each other. It’s the way we speak. I have been informed several times by my husband that my text messages to my mother are largely illegible because they are mostly composed in Scots with smatterings of “proper” English thrown in just to keep things interesting..

And while I can understand the confusion, I just need to be really clear that what you are in fact seeing in some posts, is not AAVE but West Coast Scots.

I am most definitely not trying to appropriate from anyone else, and if I ever do it is not intentional and you should feel free to come and correct me because the last thing I ever want to do is hurt someone unintentionally or otherwise.

Sae dinnae fash yersels, tumblr wains, tumblr mam isnae tryin tae be nout else than hersel. Though I ken thas nae worth muckle at maist lol.

[wilsonsmillieblog]

Good Scottish Words, #7: Sleekit

Definition: According to Google, ‘artfully flattering or ingratiating’. I’m not so sure. Sly, back-stabbing, two-faced, slimy. Someone who is your worst enemy and who’ll do whatever it take to make sure the worst happens to you.

Conjecture: would ‘sleekit’ go well with ‘minger’ I wonder. Could the epitaph ‘You’re nothing but a sleekit minger,’ catch on?

Usage: ‘Here comes that sleekit wee bastard now.’

[wilsonsmillieblog]

Good Scottish Words, #7: Stramash

Definition: prelude to engaging in a stooshie that leads to a rammy. 

Or if you’re of certain age and persuasion living in the West of Scotland, a last-minute penalty for Rangers which leads to a 0 - 1 result against your team. The late great Arthur Montford, of STV football commentary fame, made the word his own by the dead-pan way he pronounced it. In his honour, no TV sports commentator has uttered it since he died.

However, corners in football are still the prelude to a stramash as players tug, pull, wrestle, shove and bite their opponents to ensure they don’t get a free header when the ball comes in. Hardly any penalties are awarded during a stramash, unless the Old Firm needs the points whence it can be found in the same sentence as ‘controversial’.

Pronunciation: Stramash. Stra-mash. Stram-ash. Strraaaammaaashh.

Usage: ‘We’re into injury time and there’s a stramash in the box ... McCoist goes down and it’s a controversial penalty for Rangers ... their sixth in six games.’

Heath Warning:  It’s no coincidence that there are more Scots words for fighting than for loving.