Scots: The Mither Tongue
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"* One of the best 100 Scottish books ever written... if I had my way there would be copies of these books in every home in the land' - Alan Taylor, Scotland on Sunday * 'The Scots tongue, like most of the world's minority languages, is under pressure and Billy Kay in this excellent and cognent survey draws together the strands of our concern' - Daily Express * 'Kay is the best writer on his own language I have read since Burchfield on English; and his book shouldbe put in schools for it is capably seditious - The Herald * 'Moving, delightful, even inspiring - Edinburgh Review"
Product Description
Scots: The Mither Tongue is a classic of contemporary Scottish culture and essential reading for those who care about their country's identity in the twenty-first century. It is a passionately written history of how the Scots have come to speak the way they do and has acted as a catalyst for radical changes in attitude towards the language.
In this completely revised edition, Kay vigorously renews the social, cultural and political debate on Scotland's linguistic future, and argues convincingly for the necessity to retain and extend Scots if the nation is to hold on to its intrinsic values. Kay places Scots in an international context, comparing and contrasting it with other lesser-used European languages, while at home questioning the Scottish Executive's desire to pay anything more than lip service to this crucial part of our national identity.
Language is central to people's existence, and this vivid account celebrates the survival of Scots in its various dialects, its literature and song. The mither tongue is a national treasure that thrives in many parts of the country and underpins the speech of everyone who calls themselves a Scot.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Everybody in Scotland should have this book. The perfect start to learning about the Scots language.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I was unsure of exactly what this book would bring me, but within a page or two, came to the realisation that this was to be no frivolous, tongue-in-cheek catalogue of urban Scotticisms.
What Billy Kay has done is to present a well-researched piece of historical analysis, charting the development of the various Scots tongues through the centuries. It is full of examples, both of Scottis and Inglis, drawn from a myriad of sources, Scots criticisms of English, English criticisms of Scots, legal documents, school reports, the effect of printers on the use of specific letters.
But the style of the prose is not that of a stuffy reference book. It is easy-going enough to allow this work to be read for pure enjoyment as well as being a source of information. Definitely one of my 'best-buys' this year!
What Billy Kay has done is to present a well-researched piece of historical analysis, charting the development of the various Scots tongues through the centuries. It is full of examples, both of Scottis and Inglis, drawn from a myriad of sources, Scots criticisms of English, English criticisms of Scots, legal documents, school reports, the effect of printers on the use of specific letters.
But the style of the prose is not that of a stuffy reference book. It is easy-going enough to allow this work to be read for pure enjoyment as well as being a source of information. Definitely one of my 'best-buys' this year!
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
1 review
Scotland's dialects
29 Dec 2011
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a great book for Scots, their descendants, or anyone who has visited Scotland and wondered why there are so many different "languages". As always, Billy Kay does an incredible job, comparing and contrasting the dialects by geographical regions. He does not omit the finer differences within these regions, e.g. within a 50 mile radius of Glasgow there are numerous variations, each having quite different words for the same subject. He tells of people who feel that speaking Scots is wrong, many believe it is slang. Depending on the geographical area, the dialect can be musical and a delight to the ear, others may sound coarse and grating. This is a book that should be passed around to spread the word.
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