Rough Scan
OOR
SCOTTISH TONGUE
THE rising generation is a kittle
ane, BAILIE; they’re awfu’ genteel. One great notion o’ theirs is that
the auld Scotch way o’ talkin’ is vulgar, and it’s amusing tae see hoo
they turn up their noses at the guid Scotch o’ their gran'faithers. An’
min’ ye it’s vera hard for folk like me tae be lookit doon upon by a wheen
o’ whupper-snappers that pride themsels on their gentility, while they
hae tae thank their Scottish faithers and gran’faithers for a’ the position
they hae got.
The ither nicht I daunnerd intae Mr Carmichael’s
tae hae a bit crack, and he says tae me, "Drink up yer gless, Mr
Kaye." His son started up at this, and gaein' his moustache a bit
curl, cries oot—
"Oh! gracious, papa! how could he
do that? You ought to say ‘drink up yen toddy.’"
I lookit at him a wee and then—I drank
my gless.
By and by Mr Carmichael remarks: "It’s
an extror’nar’ cauld nicht, Mr Kayo, sit intae the fire," and I wis
drawin’ my chair in when Miss Carmichael laughs and says, "You surely
don’t want Mr Kaye to actually sit into the fire, do you?" and here
they a’ laughed.
Heth, BAILIE, I thocht they were makin’
a fule o’ me, and I began tae get a wee crabbit. Hooever, tae keep doon
my anger I took a moothfu’ or twa o’ toddy—I notice that toddy has a vera
beneficial effect when you’re put aboot, or no in yen ornar—and I began
tae tell aboot a freen o’ mine that had gane intae a coach office tae
get a horse the length o’ Paisley, when there wis a great roar frae a’
the young folk. I wis dum’foonered. I didna see onything tae laugh at
till Maister Carmichael time Second says, "By Jove, that was a long
horse," and then they a’ laughed again.
Noo, BAILIE, I suppose you and me are
a wee behin’ thae young anes in various things, and amang the rest in
oor style o’ talk. Bit for a’ that, oor Scotch is a vera expressive language,
and a vera sweet language. It has served its day and generation nobly,
and has sent forth men that hae made the name o’ Scotland famous a’ the
worl’ ower. Noo, thae young anes, by their speech and actions, are fast
makin’ us a dependency o’ England—a country weel enough in its way, but
no tae be compared for a minute tae Scotland either for intelligence,
enterprise, perseverance, or sagacity. The English language is no hauf
so expressive as the Scotch. For instance, "A canty auld wife"
is faur main expressive than "a jolly old woman"; "steek that
yett" is better than "fasten that gate"; "bonnie wee
bairn" is mair loving than "pretty little child"; "an
auld b ache" means mnair than "an old shoe"; and "a
humpluck o’ glaur" than a "heap of mud." "Speel up
the brae" canna be rendered in English, for "speel" is
neither walk nor rin, nor creep, but a distinct expressive motion by itsel’,
while "brae" is neither a hill nor a mountain, but—weel every
Scotch body ken. what it means. "Takin’ a dauner," again, is
faur better than "taking a walk," which micht be quick on slow.
But, BAILIE, maist Scotch words are so
expressive that it wid tak’ aboot ten English words tae express the meaning
a’ ony one o’ them. For instance, "sprachle" means mair than
"sprawling"; "douce" has nae English equivalent; "dirrle"
expresses the vera feeling; "pawky," what’s the English for
that? "toom" gives you the vera soond; "gloamin’"
is faun an’ awa’ better than "twilight"; "rowan free"
is mair endearin’ than "mountain ash"; an’ "mavis" sweeter than "thrush";
an’ "peesweep" better than "plover"; an’ "happit"
is warmer than "tucked"; "kink" is a cough an’ a whole lot o’
ither things a' in one word; "howk" is better than " dig
"; "snell win’" is caulder than "a cold wind"; an’ "cosie"
is faur warmer than "comfortable"; as for "jaggie,"
ony Scotch laddie‘ll tell ye that that appeals mair tae his feelings than
"prickly"; "kep" is far mair than "catch";
an’ wha widna. prefer "bailie" tae "alderman," on
"provost" tae "mayor," or "blate" tae "bashful,"
or "driech" tae "slow," or "girnin’" tae—what?
there’s no an English word onything like it; an’ jist think o’ "fozie,"
the maist expressive word in the language, on "thole," which
means to suffer, to endure, an’ to tolerate a’ in one; or "snod"
for "neat"; an’ "tae wale a wheen grossats" is surely better
than to "select a few gooseberries"; or "spate" for
"flood," or " lippen" for "trust," or "ettle"
for "intend," or "dour," "draigle," "kittle,"
"deave," "fashious," "glowering," "keek,"
"scrimpit," " shooglie," "moolie," "fushionlees,"
" shilpit," "sonsy," "kenspeckle," "threep,"
" camstairie," "hirple," "hirsell," "habble
" ; or "redding" up a hoose, or "powtering" amang
the "chuckie stanes," or the "kirk skailing," or going
up the "knowe" tae gather "blaeberries," where the
"laverock" sings an’ the "whins" bloom.
But, michty me, BAILIE, I’ve forgot mysel’
a’thegither in my national enthusiasm. Here’s Betty wi’ my gruel, so I’ll
retire tae my snow-white couch, an’, embellished wi’ my red nicht-cap,
sleep the sleep o’ the just.