Articles categorised as Spoken word

Scots Corpus web site goes live

A new web site from the Scots Corpus, the organisation which collects information about written and spoken Scots and Scottish English, is now live online. http://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk/

Songs and Rhymes from Childhood

Ewan McVicar has written the first comprehensive book regarding the lore, songs and rhymes of Scottish children, collected form the street and playground during the last 150 years. People are sure...

Plays in Scots for Schools

Roy McGregor and Liz Niven have edited a new book entitled 'Scottish Plays for Schools' through the Association for Scottish Literary Studies and published by Hodder Gibson. This work includes six...

Ellie an da sail needle

Written and read by Iris Sandison from the album Hansel o Stories published by Hansel Cooperative Press http://www.hanselcooperativepress.co.uk/

Tartan Army Football Battalion

Once again Scotland's football future hangs in the balance with it's place in Euro 2008 decided by the forthcoming crucial match against Italy. 100 Favourite Scottish Football Poems edited by...

Doric Cabaret Evening

As pairt o the city o Aiberdeen’s St Andra’s Weekend, the Associe o Grampian Storytellers is haein a Doric Cabaret Eening on Seturday 1 December at Union Terrace Gairdens, Aiberdeen, fae 7.30pm...

Supper Wi Burns

The Scots Centre for Storytelling is haudin a Supper Wi Burns on Wadensday 23 an Thursday 24 Januar. Linda Bandelier, David Campbell an Donald Smith is tae interteen fowk wi stories, poyems an...

Tae a moose

Performances of Tae a moose.

Tae a louse

Performances of Tae a Louse.

Happy Valentine's Day

We're continuing our Burns theme by celebrating Valentine's Day with one of his most famous poems, My Luve is like a Red Red Rose. We hope you'll enjoy Isla St Clair's bitter sweet version of the...

Names in Scots - Places in Scotland

This section of the website is intended to provide a guide to Scots forms of personal and place names. There are few areas where the process of smothering Scots is more apparent than in its names...

Names in Scots - Personal

As one might expect, Scots speakers have traditionally had their own forms of first and family names, just like every language community. For example, though the name David was often written the...

Scots isn't alone

In April 2008, four students in Iceland paid a visit to the Education Ministry in Reykjavik in order to inform the government that they had founded an Association for Icelandic-speaking Youth,...

Names in Scots - countries abroad

As with personal and place names, the use of names in Scots for countries has been smothered in modern times because officialdom in Scotland has preferred the English forms. A particular trait of...

Audio gospels in Scots

The four gospels in Scots are now available as audio versions. Today Wild Goose Publications, in conjunction with the Lorimer Trust and Scots Language Centre, has put on sale a newly-produced...

Sally on Sunday discuss Scots New Testament

Sally Magnusson discusses the Scots New Testament with Priscilla Lorimer http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/scotland_aod.shtml?scotland/religion1_sun

American accents for Scottish Rappers

Two Scottish rappers had to speak in American accents in order to get a music deal, the Sunday Mail reported this week. Dundee guys Billy Boyd and Gavin Bain – known as Silibil’n’Brains –...

Four Gospels now on CD

This week sees the publication in CD format of recordings of the four Scots gospels. Tom Fleming’s readings from the Scots New Testament bring to life the great stories of Lorimer’s translation....

Ulster Scots set up speakers group

Scots speakers in Ballymoney, Northern Ireland have set up a group for people interested in speaking Scots. Charlie Reynolds from the group is reported to have said, "Some yins taak aboot it...

Joyce Falconer is Centre's Scots voice

In the next few weeks visitors to the Scots Language Centre will be able to listen to, as well as read, the Scots words which are described in the Scots Word of the Week feature on the Centre's...

waith n. a piece of property which is found ownerless

Waith is related to the word waif, which started out as a legal term with the same meaning, but is now more often used to conjure images of Dickensian orphans. In medieval Scotland, waith referred...

yerk v. bind tightly; beat, whip, strike; snatch, wrench, etc.

Yerk (or yark) is recorded in medieval English, and although it has generally fallen out of use south of the border, it is still known and used in Scots and in some regional dialects of English....

First Doric feature film on youtube

Mark Stirton, the Aberdeen based producer of "One Day Removals", the first full length feature film in Doric, the North east dialect of Scots, has posted a trailer for the film on youtube. The...

A Drunk Man Looks at the Thistle

Listen to Hugh MacDiarmid read, A Drunk Man Looks at the Thistle http://writing.upenn.edu/pennsound/x/MacDiarmid.html

The Hugh MacDiarmid memorial Langholm

Simmer Sang

The Scots Language Centre is marking midsummer with this reading of the Shetland dialect poem, Simmer Sang. Simmer Sang was written by Vagaland, the pen name of well-loved Shetland poet, Thomas...

New Translations

Translations of two medieval Scots language texts have recently been published. 'The life and miracles of St Ninian' is a translation of an anonymous early 15th Century Scots poem. Set in...

Photography inspires poetry

Derek Ross from Stranraer and Dumfries writes poetry using photographs as a foundation for much of his work. We have here two of his Scots language poems which have come from photographs he took....

Childhood memories in poetry

Childhood for some poets is a rich source of ideas, particularly when using Scots language. For many of these writers, childhood was a time of uninhibited language use, a time when Scots voices...

Fouth n. abundance

As I was out walking the dog the other day, the word fouth kept coming into my mind. In the waist-high vegetation, there was that almost threatening overabundance that the English metaphysical...

SLD seeks Outreach Assistant

Scots Language Dictionaries have advertised the post of Outreach/education assistant (3 days a week), £18,000 (pro rata). The successful candidate will assist in a number of important areas...

The Invisible Language

The Auld Scotch, Glaswegian, Glesca Scots, The Patter. These are the names by which the native language of the city of Glasgow – and surrounding region – have been known in modern times, and which...

Traditional Arts Working Group - Public Meetings

David Francis, the chair of the Traditional Arts Working Group, will be hosting a series of public meetings across Scotland to allow as many people as possible the opportunity to feed their views...

Breaking the mould

After the Union with England in 1707, it was the language of that country that increasingly came to be the language of formality and officialdom, in spite of the fact that most people spoke Scots....

Debased or Evolved?

From the end of the 19th century onwards the speech of Glasgow came increasingly under attack by the authorities. The Scots language was generally being discouraged and punished, initially through...

The Patter Strikes back?

In the 20th and early 21st centuries the dialect of Glasgow has been the subject of several research projects and popular books. Research into the health of the language (of which work by Dr...

SLS Annual Collogue

The Annual Collogue of the Scots Language Society will take place on Saturday 10 October 2009 at the A.K. Bell Library, York Place, Perth. This year’s theme is ‘The Interaction between Scots and...

Stanley Robertson

Stanley Roberston (1940-2009) was well known as one of the country’s most accomplished storytellers. He was a singer, a writer and a campaigner for the traveller community. Stanley’s life and...

New paper on history of language study in Orkney and Shetland

In Orkney in July participants at the conference of the Forum for the Languages of Scotland and Ulster heard a fascinating paper from Professor Michael Barnes on the history of the study of the...

Minnie Episode 1

Sheena Blackhalls novella, Minnie, tells the story of a young girl growing up in a North East farming community between the wars. Minnie experiences and overcomes many personal challenges.

Starting Thursday – Sheena Blackhall reads Minnie on SLC site

From September the Scots Language Centre will be delivering more audio and video based features to its ever growing online audience. Sheena Blackhall’s novella, Minnie, will be podcast on the...

EXCLUSIVE - ChielMeister talks to SLC

Nae Mince in Moray has been this year’s surprise Scots language hit on youtube. Writer and singer, The Chielmesiter, talks exclusively to the Scots Language Centre about mince, rowies, French...

Scots Language podcast

Sheena Blackhall’s novella, Gods of Grayfriars Lane will be podcast on the Scots Language Centre’s website from September 2010 to June 2011. It is also available on iTunes. Set in a provincial...

David Toulmin - A Chiel Amang Them

Author and farm labourer, David Toulmin began his life as John Reid. Hugely popular in North East Scotland in the sixties and seventies his books frequently sold out in the region and borrowing...

Remembering Wee Willie Winkie

On 2 September a new memorial was unveiled on the wall of Tennents’ Brewery, Duke Street, Glasgow, to Scots language writer William Miller (1810-72) and his most famous composition ‘Wee Willie...

Minnie Episode 3

Minnie is helping with the harvest. It's hot and she takes her lunch on the hillside overlooking the area she grew up in. She sees her cousin coming up to join her. The next episode will be...

20th September 2009

In the recordings of the Scots New Testament, Tom Fleming brings the well known stories of the gospels to life in a distinct Scots voice. Throughout Homecoming year the centre will be broadcasting...

27th September 2009

In the recordings of the Scots New Testament, Tom Fleming brings the well known stories of the gospels to life in a distinct Scots voice. Throughout Homecoming year the centre will be broadcasting...

Launch of A Companion to Scotsoun

Dr George Philp’s ‘A Companion to Scotsoun’ will be launched on Friday 25 September at the University of Glasgow. Dr Philip, who is a principal creator of Scotsoun, will be speaking about this...

Scots Language Classes

Registration for Scots language classes, taught by Margery Strattan, will be at 6.45pm in the Community Centre, Caerlaverock Road, Prestwick, KA9 1HR. Registration is £40 though there is also a...

Companion to Scotsoun launch

'A Companion to Scotsoun', written by Dr George Philp, will be launched at the Department of English Language, 12 University Gardens, Glasgow, beginning at 7pm. Speakers will include Dr Philp,...

Minnie Episode 4

Minnie and her cousin Isie take a break from the harvest on the hillside. Isie explains to Minnie that some sheep reject their lambs, making Minnie think about her relationship with her own...

Minnie Episode 5

It's the start of October and Minnie is in school. It's cold in the classroom and she struggles to concentrate on the teacher's poetry reading. The autumn view outside, thoughts about her dad's...

Minnie Episode 6

The teacher continues the poetry lesson. Isie and Minnie's brother will carry on with education in the town after finishing at the village school, but Minnie knows that she won't. Minnie begins to...

Mither tongue in fine fettle, say Doric fans

Doric Festival report from the Press and Journal. www.pressandjournal.co.uk

O Aw The Airts

Well-known broadcaster and writer Billy Kay, together with singer Rod Paterson, and Derek Hoy and Norman Chalmers from 'Jock Tamson's Bairns', will be appearing at the Imprint Book Festival in...

Minnie Episode 7

Dandy shows the girls the ferrets and explains how he works with them, helping the animals follow the scent of the prey. Minnie begins to worry that she herself smells bad. She leaves Isie and...

Minnie Episode 10

It's November, frosty and the fields have been ploughed. Isie is moving away so is staying with Minnie while her parents prepare for the house move.

Minnie Episode 11

The girls head for bed. Isie tells Minnie about a secret ceremony taking place that night. Several local boys will be initiated into the Brotherhood of Horsemen.

Minnie Episode 12

In the middle of the night Minnie and Isie head out to hide in the barn where they'll be able to watch the secret ceremony. They find a place to hide just as the men arrive. The ceremony starts.

Merrier Christmas and Brawer Hogmanay at SLC

With December only weeks away, the Scots Language Centre is putting the finishing touches to what should be its best ever Christmas and New Year programme. There are many old favourites – the...

Tribute to Stanley Robertson

The life of storyteller and writer, Stanley Robertson, will be celebrated at an event to be held on Saturday 28 November at the Scottish Storytelling Centre in Edinburgh. Reek roon the Campfire...

Blairgowrie and Rattray Dialect discussion now on facebook

A group to discuss Blairgowrie and Rattray dialect has been established on facebook. You can join in the conversation here.

Scots monologues now online

Traditional musician, Nigel Gatherer, has collected a number of Scots monologues on his web site. The Monologue was a popular comic form in the 19th and early 20th century. Many were recorded and...

Minnie Episode 16

Minnie eats her porridge and the family set off to church.The next episode will be broadcast on Thursday 31st December 2009.

Minnie Episode 17

They sit through the long service. On coming out of the church Minnie's brother throws a snowball at her.The next episode will be broadcast on Thursday 7th January 2010.

Minnie Episode 18

The family eat the last meal of the year together before finishing preparing for the bells. The next episode will be broadcast on Thursday 14th January 2010.

27th December 2009

The Scots Language Centre is marking the Advent season with a series of specially selected readings from the Scots translation of the New Testament. Beginning on 29 November the readings will...

Hogmanay

The Scots Language Centre is marking the Advent season with a series of specially selected readings from the Scots translation of the New Testament. Beginning on 29 November the readings will...

Ne'er Day

The Scots Language Centre is marking the Advent season with a series of specially selected readings from the Scots translation of the New Testament. Beginning on 29 November the readings will...

3rd January 2010

The Scots Language Centre is marking the Advent and Christmas seasons with a series of specially selected readings from the Scots translation of the New Testament. Beginning on 29 November the...

Uphalie Day

The Scots Language Centre is marking the Advent and Christmas seasons with a series of specially selected readings from the Scots translation of the New Testament. Beginning on 29 November the...

STAP v stuff, block, stop

After a day of “Ryvin’ an’ stechin’ an’ stappin’ an’ eatin’” (Kelso Chronicle 1917), still stappit fu of Christmas dinner, with the prospect of further stappin with turkey and sprout sandwiches, I...

10th January 2010

In the recordings of the Scots New Testament, Tom Fleming brings the well known stories of the gospels to life in a distinct Scots voice. Throughout the year the centre will be broadcasting a...

Minnie Episode 19

It is now early spring on the farm and Minnie's father has been ill for some time. Jock Dow has had to keep the farm work going.The next episode will be broadcast on Thursday 28th January 2010.

School of Scottish Studies and Centre to co-operate on dialect archive

The School of Scottish Studies at Edinburgh University is home to a large archive of audio recordings, many in Scots. In the next few months selections from the archive will begin to appear on the...

17th January 2010

In the recordings of the Scots New Testament, Tom Fleming brings the well known stories of the gospels to life in a distinct Scots voice. Throughout the year the centre will be broadcasting a...

24th January 2010

In the recordings of the Scots New Testament, Tom Fleming brings the well known stories of the gospels to life in a distinct Scots voice. Throughout the year the centre will be broadcasting a...

31st January 2010

In the recordings of the Scots New Testament, Tom Fleming brings the well known stories of the gospels to life in a distinct Scots voice. Throughout the year the centre will be broadcasting a...

Burns poetry on Youtube

Some more Burns poetry.

Minnie Episode 20

Minnie listens to Meg the servant gossiping with Jock Dow about how ill Minnie's father is.The next episode will be broadcast on Thursday 11th February 2010.

2nd February 2010 Candlemas

In the recordings of the Scots New Testament, Tom Fleming brings the well known stories of the gospels to life in a distinct Scots voice. Throughout the year the centre will be broadcasting a...

7th February 2010

In the recordings of the Scots New Testament, Tom Fleming brings the well known stories of the gospels to life in a distinct Scots voice. Throughout the year the centre will be broadcasting a...

14th February 2010

In the recordings of the Scots New Testament, Tom Fleming brings the well known stories of the gospels to life in a distinct Scots voice. Throughout the year the centre will be broadcasting a...

Minnie Episode 21

We have a portrait of the dying man, his past life and the affection he had for his youngest child Minnie.The next episode will be broadcast on Thursday 25th February 2010.

A bairn maun creep afore it gangs

Practice makes perfect

Ye may gang faur an fare waur

You may go further and do a lot worse

Aw cracks maunna be trewed

Dont believe everything you hear

James Hogg songs

A major research project about the early 19th century Scottish writer James Hogg is culminating in the creation of a growing and valuable online resource. It currently contains articles and talks...

Ash Wednesday 17th February 2010

The Scots Language Centre is marking Lent and Easter with a series of specially selected readings from the Scots New Testament. Readings will appear on the web site from Ash Wednesday until Easter...

First Sunday of Lent 21st February 2010

The Scots Language Centre is marking Lent and Easter with a series of specially selected readings from the Scots New Testament. Readings will appear on the web site from Ash Wednesday until Easter...

Minnie Episode 22

All the adults are busy and no one speaks to Minnie. She goes up to see her father, sure that he would be fine again soon.The next episode will be broadcast on Thursday 11th March 2010.

A flittin stane gaithers nae fog

A rolling stone gathers no moss

Minnie Episode 23

Minnie is with her father as he dies.The next episode will be broadcast on Thursday 25th March 2010.

Minnie Episode 24

Emotions in the house run high. Minnie finds herself rejected by her mother and brother.The next episode will be broadcast on Thursday 8th April 2010.

Third Sunday of Lent 7th March 2010

The Scots Language Centre is marking Lent and Easter with a series of specially selected readings from the Scots New Testament. Readings will appear on the web site from Ash Wednesday until Easter...

Fourth Sunday of Lent 14th March 2010

The Scots Language Centre is marking Lent and Easter with a series of specially selected readings from the Scots New Testament. Readings will appear on the web site from Ash Wednesday until Easter...

Year of Orkney Dialect

Orkney Heritage Society is leading a year of celebrations of the islands dialect. Activities will include a poetry competition and events in schools and the community. The dialect year has its...

Spring’s here but is it time yet tae cast yer cloots?

Linda Gunn, the academic leading the project to record Scotland’s intangible cultural heritage, is asking visitors to the Scots Language Centre to help her find examples of weather lore. After the...

Holy Thursday 1st April 2010

The Scots Language Centre is marking Lent and Easter with a series of specially selected readings from the Scots New Testament. Readings will appear on the web site from Ash Wednesday until Easter...

Good Friday 2nd April 2010

The Scots Language Centre is marking Lent and Easter with a series of specially selected readings from the Scots New Testament. Readings will appear on the web site from Ash Wednesday until Easter...

Holy Saturday 3rd April 2010

The Scots Language Centre is marking Lent and Easter with a series of specially selected readings from the Scots New Testament. Readings will appear on the web site from Ash Wednesday until Easter...

Easter Sunday 4th April 2010

The Scots Language Centre is marking Lent and Easter with a series of specially selected readings from the Scots New Testament. Readings will appear on the web site from Ash Wednesday until Easter...

Minnie Episode 25

After her father dies Minnie prepares to move to Aberdeen.The next episode will be broadcast on Thursday 22nd April 2010.

Minnie Episode 26

Minnie gets used to living in the town and tries not to miss the farm.The next episode will be broadcast on Thursday 6th May 2010.

18th April 2010

In the recordings of the Scots New Testament, Tom Fleming brings the well known stories of the gospels to life in a distinct Scots voice. Throughout the year the centre will be broadcasting a...

Shetland web site launched

A new web site dedicated to Shetland dialect and culture was launched in Lerwick on Saturday. Folk from the community joined members of the dialect campaigning group, Shetland Forwirds, at an...

One Day Removals

Mark Stirton’s film, One Day Removals, is a slapstick, black comedy based in and around Aberdeen. The dialogue is entirely in the local North East dialect making One Day Removals the first full...

Tom Fleming - voice of the Scots Gospels

Tom Fleming began acting in 1945, co-founded the Edinburgh Gateway Company in 1953, and from 1962-4 was a leading member of the Royal Shakespeare Company. He founded and directed the Royal Lyceum...

Minnie Episode 27

Minnie experiences her first service in a city church.The next episode will be broadcast on Thursday 20th May 2010.

Minnie Episode 28

Minnie and her pony are leading more restricted lives in the town.The next episode will be broadcast on Thursday 3rd June 2010.

Drunk Man set to music

A Drunk Man Looks at the Thistle, Hugh MacDiarmid’s Scots poem, with its infamously thrawn narrator, is set to music of huge imagination and vibrancy by Glasgow composer Bill Sweeney  in a...

Minnie Episode 29

As spring passes Minnie watches the horses setting out to deliver milk each day before learning her domestic chores.The next and final episode will be broadcast on Thursday 17th June 2010.

Minnie Episode 30

At the end of June Minnie is badly injured in an accident that kills her pony. This is the final episode of 'Minnie'.

8th August 2010

In the recordings of the Scots New Testament, Tom Fleming brings the well known stories of the gospels to life in a distinct Scots voice. Throughout the year the centre will be broadcasting a...

15th August 2010

In the recordings of the Scots New Testament, Tom Fleming brings the well known stories of the gospels to life in a distinct Scots voice. Throughout the year the centre will be broadcasting a...

Tak tent or it’s tint

Use it or lose it.

The Scots translation

Derrick McClure reads the Scots translation of the poem 'The Dream of the Rood'.

A Conversation

Dauvit Horsbroch and Derrick McClure discuss the Ruthwell Cross, the Anglo-Saxon poem 'The Dream of the Rood' and its importance to Scots language academics.

Gods of Grayfriars Lane Episode 1

It is September 1899 and the story starts in the provincial town of 'Divana'. We meet some of the local characters who are awaiting with interest the arrival of the new residents at the flat on...