VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

Dave Waters

In addition to the voice thing, I also have coached competitive soccer for many years. So, by nature I am a fan of the EPL and SPL.

So, my question is this:

Why am I able to understand (linguistically, of course) Phillip, Sean Connery and Sheena Easton (just had to mention the big 80's!) but can scarcely make out a word of what the vast majority of other Scots are saying?

Thank goodness for closed captioning or I'd never know what Sir Alex thought of the match!

Can ye gie's a haund?
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Dave Waters
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Jeffrey Kafer · Posted: Sun Aug 21, 2011 3:43 pm Post subject:

You understand Philip?
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Jeff
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Bish · Posted: Sun Aug 21, 2011 11:08 pm Post subject:

Sadly, I must admit to understanding our Mr. Banks far more than I should... but there again, I have been told on numerous occasions that I can be acerbic, warped and that I have a sharply-defined sense of the absurd... but I can't do it in 140 characters or less.

Oh... your meant Philip's Scottish accent (or lack thereof). He's a Sassenach.

Seriously, there are many different accents in Scotland. There's a world of difference between Billy Connolly and Sean Connery... well, about fifty miles anyway. It's a sweeping statement, but a guttural Glasgow can be far more difficult for the uninitiated than the generally softer Edinburgh lilt... travel further north and the Rs can be rolled like they're heading down a 45 degree slope! Move out to the islands and all bets are off... not even other Scots understand them!
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Philip Banks · Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2011 12:22 am Post subject:

Google -Doric. When I moved to Portgordon I had to get my head around it as it is the North East of Scotland dialect.

For a beautiful example of Gaelic (pronounced Gal -ick) listen to this from Capercaillie http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4QrfpD7rLY&playnext=1&list=PLA36D2D1848236641

Karen Mathieson, Sir Sean Connery's favourite singest.

Dave Waters · Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2011 5:42 am Post subject:

Fascinating. And, frustrating.

My family is of English and Scottish heritage so I'm feeling guilty I didn't study Robert Burns more closely in school. Actually, true Doric makes Burns look easy in comparison. I should better be able to understand but I can't process the words quickly enough. Age related, possibly.

Just wondering how things work at school there. Is it Gaelic, Doric or English?

These languages are in the fabric of many Americans. Such a shame they are not taught more in the U.S.

Thanks for the link, Phillip. Such a beautiful language and the music is quite lovely, too.
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Dave Waters
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Philip Banks · Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2011 5:48 am Post subject:

Everything is English for practical purposes. Culture is kept alive and well with a Gaelic University, TV and radio stations. Doric is simply kept alive because it is, I believe this to be the best way.

SilverSurfer3001 · Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2011 7:31 am Post subject:

Hmmmm. An English base for learning? Fascinating. The educators in our area seem to feel that it is somehow better to teach in two or three different languages - in the same classroom (used to be English and Spanish while the English Speakers would gripe about how the students should learn English, now the Spanish speakers are griping that the Russian students should learn Spanish).

aaaaand the wheels on the bus go round and round... round and round ... round and round.
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