Varieties of English or Scots

1 Using evidence from dialectology studies, describe a particular variety of English or Scots.  In your answer you should refer to phonological, lexical and syntactic

features.     2.     “Speech and writing in Scotland today is the result of a long and complicated history. Broadly speaking, we can argue that part of that

history involves contact between two distinct language varieties—Broad Scots and standard Southern English—a contact that eventually created a third variety: Scottish

English.” (John Corbett & Christian Kay: Understanding Grammar in Scotland Today)

To what extent has the variety of English or Scots you have studied been shaped by “contact between two distinct language varieties”? Topic B—The historical

development of English or Scots

Describe some of the ways in which either English or Scots has changed within the past 100 years. You may wish to consider the effects of •     •     •     •

•     the creation of new technology like computers and mobile phones population movement changes in employment patterns increased educational opportunities the

spread of mass media.

How has the borrowing of words from other languages affected the historical development of either English or Scots? Topic C—Multilingualism in contemporary Scotland.

5.    “Scotland has 137 languages spoken by its residents, but many of those languages are often not seen as having cultural or economic value.” To what extent have

your studies of multilingualism in contemporary Scotland suggested that only certain languages have “cultural or economic value”?     6.     What linguistic

features characterise the conversations of multilinguals in contemporary Scotland?

The use of Scots in contemporary literature. For this topic you are provided with three examples of the use of Scots in contemporary literature: Text A is an extract

from the prose piece First Confession by Maureen Myant. Text B is the poem Unibike at the Festival by William Neill. Text C is the poem Virus*** by Jackie Kay. Read

the texts carefully and answer either Question 7 or Question 8. Text A Extract from First Confession Sister Mary gies me the willies. She’s a right funny face on her.

Like a chewed-up caramel, my mammy says. Sometimes it’s aw smooth an sleekit, but. Like when she talks tae Father Maloney. Maloney Baloney we calls him. So ah canny

believe it when, right in the middle of RE, ah puts my hand up and says, “Please Miss, what about 5 number six.” Ah must be barmy, shoutin out in the middle of a

lesson an callin her ‘Miss’ instead of ‘Sister’ like she aye tells us. When Mental Mickey done that, he ended up peein hissel she was that mad. Ah look down at my

desk. It’s clatty. There’s some words scratched on the wood an ah try an read them: “SiSTr MaRy eATs BaBys.” Ah 10 wonder if she eats aulder weans an all. “Ah yes,

Patricia, the Sixth Commandment. Well, number six is a very important commandment and if you break it, it is a mortal sin.” Her face is aw red an a wee bit sweaty.

“Now as I was saying, number seven is—yes Patricia. What is it now?” “Please, miss, you didny say what number six is.” 15 “Sister Mary, please and it’s ‘didn’t’, not

‘didny’.” Her voice is aw sharp an nasty like chalk screeching on the blackboard. Sister Mary screeches back: “Thou shalt not commit adultery. Now we really must press

on.” Kathleen O’Donnell’s got her haun up as well. “Please Sister, is adultery like being 20 an adult?” “Er, well yes I suppose so.” “Does that mean all adults are

committing a mortal sin?” Kathleen says. She’s the class sook and she’s nearly greetin, so she is. She’s fae a dead holy family by the way. She’s got two big brothers

that are priests. 25 Sister Mary smiles at her. She must be feart that Kathleen’ll tell on her if she’s no nice tae her. “Well no, not exactly,” she goes. “Only those

who commit adultery are in a state of mortal sin.” “But what is adultery?” ah says. Sister Mary goes tae the back of the class, her long black habit swishin as she

walks. 30 She’s dead tall—an as skinny as a skelf. My mammy says it’s no wonder she couldny get a man. She’s mumblin tae herself. Ah’m no sure but ah think she says,

“It’s not fair”, but she canny have cos she’s aye shoutin at Mental Mickey if he says that. He says it a lot, cos she’s aye giein him the belt. She stops her mutterin

an stands up [X270/13/01] Page eleven [Turn over

straight like she keeps tellin us tae do. She’s dead crabbit. “Adultery is a mortal sin 35 because it is being rude to the Virgin Mary.” Relief. Ah thought it was

somethin tae dae wi kissing. But ah hufty know for sure, so up goes my haun again, like it’s got a life o its ain. Text B Unibike at the Festival Aa thir graund ploys

and players in the toon— Jist bi the Mound a chiel on a unibike Echt feet abuin the grunn, a Cockney tyke, Gies us the patter, birlin roon an roon Ye’d think him jist

aboot ti cletter doon: No him. Jooglin an aipple an twa shairp dirks As braisant as the Deil an aa his Warks An aabodie cheerin the cantrips o this loun Keepin the

dirkies gaun, an haein a bite Oot o the aipple an nivver lossin his grip or faain doon aff yon unibike affair. Gin I could maister yon I’d drive thaim gyte— Wi sangs

an sonnets I fairlie wad let rip Et poetrie readins, echt feet abuin the flair. Text C Virus*** No that Am saying Am no grateful. Am aye grateful tae ma hosts,

awratime, and if by ony chance ma host the rat snuffs it, A kin a ways switch tack. Big man, wee wuman, wean: it’s awrasame tae me. Don’t get me wrang, Am no aw that

choosy, as lang as the flesh is guid and juicy. One bite and Am in, one bite and they’re mine, in the neck, the groin. Whit! Ma success rate is naebody’s bisness. Wey

ma canny disguise A make sure human hosts drap like flies. Bubo! It’s all go. O sweet Christ. Sweet blood bodies. Somebody’s dochter. Somebody’s Maw. Page twelve

Compare and contrast the vocabulary or grammar or orthography or any other linguistic feature of Scots used in any two of the texts provided.

Compare and contrast the use of Scots in one of the texts provided with the use of Scots in the work of any other contemporary writer you have studied.