For Anea – some Scots (Or rather, some almost Glesga Patter)

Ta da! Here’s a recording of the post. Hopefully you can understand me.

for-anea <– Clicky.

Aye, well, ah wis gonnae try an fin’ somethin’ WoW related tae write a post on, but that’s actually a lot mare bother than it’s worth – ah cannae be arsed wie that pish.

So instead, just a silly wee post to kinda illustrate, as best ah can, how ah actually talk, since Anea was kinda wonderin’ how Scottish people sound – rather more complex than you may think, because, just like any other country, there are plenty of regional variations! When ah’m writin on mah blogs, ah usually do it in proper English, since that’s A. What ah’m most used tae writin in, and B. easier fur everyone else tae understand!

Also, ah think that mah Scottish accent may be a wee bit ay a let down – ah’m fae a pretty well spoken famly, which is to say, my wee auld granny has ideas above her station an tries tae speak “properly”, which, of course, rubbed off on ‘er weans and eventually, their weans! So, ah don’t have all the hallmarks of a Glaswegian accent, which ah suppose is somewhat appropriate, as ah’m no quite in Glasgow – ah live near Loch Lomond, which, coincidentally, is one ay the most beautiful regions in the UK. (At this point, you may imagine me making a rude but light hearted gesture in the general direction of England.)

Ah’m also, as much as possible, refrainin’ fae exaggeratin’ things, like ah usually would if ah wis talkin’ Scots tae an American on the internet. Like, ah willnae say “Awa’n bile yir heid!” (Away and boil your head) as that’s not somethin’ ah’d say tae ma pals. Ah would, however, say somethin’ like “aye, that wull be right! Don’t gies yer pish!” (Yes, that will be right. Don’t give us your piss… which would, in “proper” English, be Yeah, right. Don’t give me that crap.) Use of “us” for “I” seems to be a distinctly Glaswegian thing, ah think. Ah will, at work, regularly ask a colleague “gonnae gies a hand wie this?”

Tae give ye a wee example of how things are different regionally, one ay the more famous examples of Scots, the word “ken”, as in, “Ye ken whit ah’m sayin’?” isn’t actually used here on the west coast – it’s a much more east coast, and possibly Highland, word. Also, while a distinctly Glaswegian thing, despite havin’ a Weegie mother, neither of us do the typically Glaswegian thing of saying “haun” instead of “hand”, or “staun” instead of “stand.” Another difference is mah grandfather, who lives in a wee fishin’ village down in the extreme south-west of Scotland. He might say somethin’ like “Ah caught a fish, it was aboot yon length.” I’d never use the word “yon”, though I do occasionally say “aboot.”

Anyway, ah hope that’s satisfied yer curiosity, Anea, and if ah have time the morra, ah’ll mebbe record masel readin’ this tae give ye a proper idea.

Oh, an since mah guild leader, who’s also Scottish, once called me Taggart (a famous Glaswegian Detective show)… There’s been a murder!

Random | RSS 2.0 | Respond | Trackback |