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 – discovered that whenever they phoned up companies and told them they were Scottish rappers, everyone found their Scottish accents a turn off. Instead the pair had to fake American accents – pretending they were Americans – in order to secure a music deal with Sony in 2003. For the next two years they had to pretend to be American and lived in Hollywood, making music, hanging out with the stars of the day, and attending the best parties. Sometimes they used to ‘pretend’ to speak in Scottish accents to amuse their friends and impersonated the likes of Billy Connolly. They even began to cringe when they heard other Scots speaking because they had been in disguise so long and become Americanised. However, it all got too much for them, and, in 2005, they split up, going back to their normal Scottish accents. Billy Boyd, who now lives back in Dundee, made the comment “I’ll just look back and say what a crazy thing to have done.” Sony declined to comment.

Scots broadcaster and writer, Billy Kay, has urged the Scottish government to find ways to support Scots culture. In a letter to Culture Minister, Linda Fabiani, Kay, the author of Scots, the Mither Tongue describes his “shock” on hearing the news that the Scottish Arts Council is to cut funding to a range of institutions that support Lowland culture and language, including the Scots Language Centre. Kay says he believes it is “imperative that the Government comes out with a clear statement of intent to find ways of countering these decisions and give adequate support to the native language and culture.”

Kay’s intervention is the latest in a week that has seen a number of high profile MSPs, cultural commentators and activists tell the government that they need to find new ways to support 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 audio version of the four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) from W.L. Lorimer’s New Testament in Scots which was first published in book form in 1983. The gospels are read by Tom Fleming. Wild Goose Publications are making copies available as a special offer until 30 June 2008. Until that date customers will be able to purchase all four CDs as a set for £59.99 (with free p&p) or individual CDs at £15.99 each (plus £2.50 p&p). The usual price for an individual gospel will be £19.99. For more information please contact Wild Goose on 0141 332 6292 or e-mail lorna@ionabooks.com or follow this link to the website: http://www.ionabooks.com/newsi

Between the 17 and 24 May the ‘Burns An’ A’ That’ festival, billed as a showcase for the best of talent in Scotland, will be taking place. Recent press reports have been critical of the fact that ‘Status Quo’ would top the bill at the festival with many people left scratching their heads as to the connection between Status Quo, other acts and Burns and the Scots language. There are many events during the festival with the common factor being that they will take place in ‘Burns country’, though there are just a few Burns and Scots-related events. During this period the town of Tarboltin intends to commemorate the seven years Burns lived in the town, with music, poems and songs. Nothing has so far been set in stone so those with an interest should contact ‘Burns Auld Tarbowtin’ on 01290 551 100. Paintings by the artist Alexander Goudie will form an exhibition telling the tale of Tam O Shanter at Rozelle House, Rozelle Park, Ayr, each day 19-24 May, 10am-5pm. Entry is free. In addition there will be a ‘Robert Burns Pride and Passion’ exhibition at Carnegie Library, Ayr, showing 19-31 May, 9am-7.30pm. This will tell the story of the life of Burns and has been assembled by the people at the National Library of Scotland. To learn more please contact: 01290 551 100. Lastly, staff from the Centre for Robert Burns Studies will be holding a panel discussion entitled ‘The Robert Burns Conspiracies’ at the Burns National Heritage Park, Alloway, beginning at 7pm on 20 May. Tickets for this event cost £3. For more details please phone 01292 443 700 or enquire with the Burns Festival Office on 01292 612 477.

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, reported by Iceland Review Online. The students in question wish to support the Icelandic language for fear that too much ‘slang’ has permeated Icelandic in modern times. The Association claims that the English language is diluting Icelandic and they are anxious because people are borrowing English and speaking mixed language. An area of particular concern is pre-school children who are adopting ‘slang’ heard from older children and parents. The Association members would like to see students and teachers around Iceland ‘fight’ the use of English words. Iceland is certainly a good example of the often uphill struggle that many minority languages around the world have – even in independent states – in which they exist alongside world languages such as English, French and others. The lesson from this is that Scots is not alone and that its puzzling problems are not unique either. For more regarding these students please follow this link: http://icelandreview.com/icela

The Aberdeen and Regional Oral History Association will be holding a traditional concert party on the night of Saturday 26 April. On the night there will be a series of traditional songs in Scots, accompanied by traditional dances, and also a comic performance by ‘A Scots Handsel’. Guaranteed to be an enjoyable evening for everyone, whether from a Scots background or new to the traditions of the language. The concert party will be in the Village Hall, Logie Coldstone next to Tarland in Deeside and starts at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £4, if bought beforehand, or £6 at the door. For anyone wishing to learn more please contact ‘A Scots Handsel’ on info@arohascotland.org .

The Federal Union of European Nationalities (FUEN) has decided to set up a network to promote European multilingualism, with a particular focus on Europe’s regional and minority languages. Many European regions are bilingual or multilingual, and the network’s main aim is to make better use of that. It also aims to preserve linguistic diversity in Europe, raise the prestige of regional and minority languages, and participate in developing and implementing a European language policy.

Further details can be found at http://tinyurl.com/6lfhne

On 9 April Dr Bill Wilson, MSP for the West of Scotland, lodged a Scottish Parliamentary motion calling for a stamp to be issued to commemorate the 200 anniversary of the first Scots language dictionary. He also called for funding in order to create a complete modern Scots dictionary. Wilson continued saying that the writer of the first dictionary, John Jamieson, did not have the resources in his time to make a complete Scots dictionary (which would have included words shared with English) and thought it shameful that Scotland still had no such dictionary today. Wilson’s motion highlights a number of problems that Scots has in the absence of a modern dictionary: lack of effective spell checkers and no automated translation. He believed that such a work would improve the status of the Scots language and its speakers. In addition to the above issue, Wilson regarded it as a “national disgrace” that Scottish Language Dictionaries – the body that makes Scots dictionaries – always had to work on a shoestring and simply did not have the means to implement a complete Scots dictionary project. The West of Scotland MSP called on other members to debate the issue in the Chamber of the Parliament. Dr Christine Robinson from Scottish Language Dictionaries commented that we could be proud of what had been achieved to date but further added “this great body of work needs to be maintained and taken forward.”

The people at Scottish Language Dictionaries have created a new series of little books based on the Scots language which are called ‘Say it in Scots.’ Brand new this month, and published by ‘Black and White Publishing’, these little books have been designed to inform and entertain the reader who wishes to know more about the rich and varied Scots language. And each book can be kept in the pocket too. The books out this month are ‘Scottish Place Names’, ‘Scottish Weather’, ‘Wha’s Like Us?’ and ‘Scottish Wildlife’, written by Dr Maggie Scott, Dr Chris Robinson and Eileen Finlayson. Each one costs £4.99 and be purchased from most book dealers or through the publishers at www.blackandwhitepublishing.co

Scots language campaigners have criticised recent comments by the TaxPayers’ Alliance as “ignorant nonsense”. Rod Lovie, convener of Strathisla Scots Spickers, condemned recent attacks on Scotland’s languages and cultures by the London based TaxPayers’ Alliance.

The Alliance has argued that supporting Scotland’s languages is a waste of money, dismissing Scots as “slang”‚ and Gaelic as “non-essential”. Lovie said he was, "astounded" that the Alliance had made the remarks. "They appear to know very little about Scotland's languages and culture and are labouring under the delusion that only English speakers pay taxes. Scots speakers pay taxes too and have every right to expect a return from the public purse."

Lovie was supported by Bob Fairnie, secretary of the campaigning group, Scots Tung. According to Fairnie comments by the TaxPayers’ Alliance represent, "the kind of knee-jerk prejudice that we had hoped had died out long ago".

In the year 1397 – apparently during the month of April – a General Council of the Kingdom was held at Stirling. The significance of this Council for Scots was the statute that it passed in the name of King Robert III (ruled 1390-1406). The Statute of Stirling is now the earliest surviving act of government to be issued in the Scots language and demonstrates the once normal place that the language enjoyed at the heart of officialdom and government in Scotland. We may choose to reflect on this tradition and the ways that it might be maintained by the new Scottish parliament. During the 1397 Council the political community of Scotland complained of a general break down of law and order. The General Council resolved to try and limit the number of followers anyone could take on journeys - to prevent feuds and raids - and also instructed local sheriffs to be more diligent in tracking down and handing over law breakers. The sheriffs and their men were also to be liable to fines for any wrong doing on their part. The text of the original Statute is as follows:


Statute of Stirling 1397
Item in the consail general of stryvelyn seyn and consideryt the grete and horrible destruccion heryschippis brynyngis and slachteris that ar sa commonly done throch al the kynrike It is statutit and ordanyt with assent of the thre communates thar beande that ilke schiref of the kynrike sal publy ger crye that na man rydand or gangande in the contre lede mar persons with hym bot thaim that he wil mak ful payment for Ande that na man vse lik destruccions slachtir Reif na bryning in tyme tocum under payn of tynsale of life and gudis the quhilke crye made ilke schiref sal tak diligent enquerres gif ony be common destroyeris of the contre and other derstruys or has destruyt the kyngis legis with herschippis slachtis bryning or ettyng of the contre. And gif ony be fundyn be enquerre of sic trespassouris the schiref sal do al his besines til arest thaim and he sal lat thaim to borch til apper at the next iustice air as day preemptor Ilke ane vnder the payn of XX ponde. And he that apperis nocht at the next iustice air sal be at the horne and his borous sal pay the payn and mak affecht to the party pleygnand and gif ony be that may nocht fynde sic borrows the schiref richt then sal gif knaulage of assise and gif he be taynt with the assise for sic a trespassour he sal be condampnit to the deid And gif ony of tha misdoeris fleys out of a schirefdom in ane other the schiref that he fleis fra sal write in quhais schirefdome he is reset byddand hym on the kyngis behalfe that he arrest sic a fugitive mysdoer and send hym til hym agayn To the quhilk bydding the schiref sal be haldin til obese and to sende hym agayn the quhilk send again the schiref that he is send to sal procede in the maner beforsaid. And in the samyn maner sal al lordis and officeris of regalites ansuer to the schirefis lettres and the schiref to thair lettres as to the arrestyng of the fugitives In the execucion of the quhilkis arrestis al barons freholdaris and al other the kyngis legis sal helpe and suppouvel the schiref and al other officeris of the kyngis at al thair pouer alswele again thair awyn men and retenwis as again other And gif ony be fundyn sautif in that poynt that he risis nocht with the kyngis officeris as is beforsaid and that may be prouit before the Justice othir with witness or with assise he sal pay X pound to the kyng without remission. Apon ther articles the Justice in ilke iustice air sal tak knawlage als apon schirefis gif thai deuly thair det to thair offic in the execucion of this statut as upon al other that suppouel nocht the kyngis minsteris in the maner beforsaid. And it is ordanyt that the chanceller sal write preceptis of this statut til al schirefis Justices in als fer as in thaim is and con…or pertenis to thaim.

Members of the Israeli Parliament, the Knesset, have been told to improve their use of the Hebrew language. BBC Radio 4 has reported that MPs are speaking Hebrew badly and are using too many English and Arabic words in their speeches. Now MPs are to take courses to improve their knowledge of the language.

Hebrew as a spoken language died out in classical times but was revived towards the end of the nineteenth century. Over the years a number of people have suggested that Hebrew provides a good example of how a language can be revived for contemporary use.

To hear the report click on the link below for the Today programme for 7 April. The report is 14 minutes and 19 seconds in to the section that lasts from 0830 to 0900.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/to

This day, 1st April, reminds us of the silly games that both children and adults once played on each other the length of Scotland. Known as ‘Gowk’s Day’ in Scots, it was common to send people on silly errands just for the amusement factor and we called such an errand in Scots ‘hunt the gowk’. The person who was sent on such a silly errand was known as a ‘huntiegowk’. To do this to a person was to ‘magowk’ them. The day after – 2 April – was known in Scots as ‘Tailie Day’ because children used to affix a paper tail to an unsuspecting person, and the tail often had a message written on it. There are still people today in certain areas who know the Scots names, but the English ‘April Fool’ has since become more widespread.

Teachers (an parents too) might like to take notice of the online Ulster Scots for children located at the Ulster-Scots Agency website. Though the target audience of the pages is Ulster, there is much that would also interest Scots speakers in Scotland. The page – called ‘Ulster-Scots for Weans’- is well laid out with all manner of things for children to do. One can click on a word list of Scots which gives Scots words with English equivalents, and – this is a very good innovation – one can hear the audio files of the words too. This is very important for those who don’t usually read or write in Scots. Here, though, the web page is a little slow moving and requires the mouse to be clicked several times in order to move quickest. In addition to the word list there is a nice book of numbers that gives each number in a sentence, and also songs and poetry showing the Scots language in context. No doubt any parent would find this well worth a visit and teachers should welcome the guidance notes. In order to look in more detail please follow this link:
www.ulsterscotsagency.com/wean

Entries are now invited as part of the Doric Festival writing competition. Competitors must either write a poem, short story or one-act play to be submitted by the deadline of 19 September 2008. Entries should contain a title page, the category entered, name of the entrant, and home address and telephone number in addition. The first prize in each category is £50 with £25 for each runner up. For the ‘Best Ower-Aa’ prize there is £50 and the Connon Caup to be won. The entry must be the competitor’s own work and not previously published anywhere. Work should be sent to Mrs Phyllis J Goodall at Greenhowe, Chapel Street, Huntly, while enquiries can be made through Mrs Goodall on 01466 792298. The winners will be invited to a prize-giving at the town hall, Inverurie, at 2pm on Saturday 27 September 2008.

It is now two hundred years since the Rev John Jamieson (1759-1838) published the first dictionary given over entirely to the Scots language, in 1808. Jamieson was born and brought up in Glasgow and was also a student in Glasgow and Edinburgh before being appointed pastor at Forfar in Angus in 1789. He later also became a member of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. The year 2009 will mark the 250th anniversary of Jamieson’s birth in March 1759. Scots language word lists had existed since the 16th century, but Jamieson was the first to write an entire dictionary, in two books, published at Edinburgh in 1808. A supplement was added in 1825 and the dictionary was published again during the years 1879-1887. His work, entitled ‘An Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Language’, gave the origins of words, their meanings, and the relationship with other languages. He had a particular interest in the relationship between Scots and other Germanic languages. To celebrate this anniversary, Scots Language Dictionaries are offering members special purchase prices on hard and paperback versions of that most worthy of works ‘Compact Scottish National Dictionary’. To learn more about this special offer – or how to purchase other works from the SLD – please follow this link:

www.scotsdictionaries.org.uk/P