Shetland Dialect

[Guest Anonymous]

I'm also noticed ower da last year or two at wir own media arna dat'n suppostive o da Shetland dialect. For example, when you see a picture in da STimes o a bird, da caption dusna say "shalder" it says "oystercatcher". Or on da radio you willna hear "tystie" you'll hear "guillimot". Pretty poor show if you ask me.

 

P.S. turrifield, quote, "(I assume you mean Scotland)". Indeed.

[Guest Anonymous]

I would definetely say that the Lerwick based younger generation are losing the Shetland accent.

 

I personally don't like it as I don't think it does us any favours in the national sense. There is a time and a place for it, but all means speak it at will but to try and teach it in schools?? No way, that's a shocking idea. Sure, throw it in at the point about exploring Shetland culture but making it part of the cirriculum is daft. There is no inherent worth behind teaching a child about dialect, other than to learning about Shetland culture, which is a great deal more than dialect itself.

 

I think talking in dialect south of here is nothing short of inconsiderate. We have to realise our dialect is pretty unique and for us to expect other people to understand is big ask.

[Kevin]

I agree, rather than teaching just dialect Shetland culture would be more appropriate, but I think dialect should be a big part of that.

 

My opinion is part of the reason that the dialect is dying in some areas is because shetland speaking parents are knapping (no sure if yuns how you'd spell it as I didna get taught shetland at school) tae their bairns, everyone to their own but I wid never do that if I ever hae bairns, I'm proud o da way I speak.

 

Also whit do you all think o speakin shetlan' tae non shetland speakin folk that bide here?

 

I wid o typed yun in shetlan' but it wid o took me a braw start.

[Muppet]

Also whit do you all think o speakin shetlan' tae non shetland speakin folk that bide here?

 

 

It's a common courtesy to make yourself understood to people your talking to.

 

I'm a shetlander born and bred and speak with a dialect. I would hate to see it disappear, but at the same time, there are times it's not very appropriate. It can even have the effect that was dicussed in the 'soothmoother' thread, that It can give the impression that if you dont speak the dialect, your not one of us and never will be.

 

Regarding the earlier posts about the media, Shetland dialect is very difficult to write properly. None of were taught it in school, so it tends to be written as you speak it. That can vary from person to person' making it difficult for even a dialect speaker to follow. The media is read and listened to widely beyond Shetland, so I dont see it as very appropriate, although it does have its place.

 

Does anyone remember the TV clip that got re-run endlessly on 'it'll be alright on the night' type programmes? The interview with the Peterhead fisherman where nobody had the foggiest what he said. Thats not the impression you'ld want the world to have of us is it?

[Guest Anonymous]

I think it's a disgrace when parents nowadays speak in a Shetland accent to each other then turn around and knap to their bairns! There is absolutely no need for it. I was not taught Shetland Dialect at School and we had teachers who were English but the whole class spoke Shetland. I have lived South and did not change my accent, everyone I met loved the accent and when a few basic words were explained - dis, dat, den, der, dee, du, peerie and yun (the main ones!!) they easily understood it. If you are a Shetlander, wherever you go, people love the accent and it attracts a lot of attention. I wish people would stop feeling embarassed about it and instead feel proud of it. You don't see Liverpudlians, Dubliners or Glaswegians amending their accents as thats what makes them unique!!! Sorry to waffle on but it makes me mad when I hear the teenagers today speaking in a hybrid English/Scottish/TV land type accent!!!!

[peeriebryan]

I agree with every point you made there Hazey Jane.

 

I fing that no-one has any trouble once I've explained what a few basics mean (notably peerie and du)

 

And I know what you mean about folk knappin to their bairns when they have a broad accent when talkin to adults. What's that all about?

 

If I ever have kids (offers ladies) I'd hope to bring them up in Shetland so they wouldn't have Glasvegas ned vocal tendancies

[petergear]

When I was in the top primary, I think my class was among the last to be read the "Lowrie" stories by my midder (who was teacher).

 

The generation before us apparently enjoyed the Lowrie stories immensely; the classes would apparently always respond with up-rorious laughter at all the humorous subtleties. However, she found that as the years progressed, the classes were struggling more and more to follow the dialect; to end up with, no-one was "getting" the funny bits any more.

 

Living language is an ever evolving thing. Unfortunately the greatest enemy of dialect is television (...gets onto soapbox and clears throat).

 

The broadest accent of any youngster I know is a certain young Burra boy, whose wholesome parents and grandparents limit the amount of TV he is exposed to quite severely, and instead, get him to join them in their day to day activities. He wears a peerie boilersuit and spends all day doing things, instead of being abandoned to the non-world of television. He has a broader accent than me.

 

I heard tapes my parents made of me when I was just a peerie toot, and blimey I spoke like a right yokel. Not only that, so did they.... Times have changed and that's that.

 

Get rid of your TV's!

[Ghostrider]

Get rid of your TV's!

 

Already did! The Satellite is daylight robbery, and the rest so beyond boring you're snorin idda end o' da cooch afore you ken it.

[peeriebryan]

I found this article on the history of the Shetland dialect. Quite interesting I thought

 

http://www.verbix.com/wiki/index.php?n=Norn.NornInfluenceOnShetlandish

[Caeser]

OK, so I know that this is an old topic, but it's something dear to my heart, and it's not MY fault that I was slow to find this website

 

I was born and raised in New Zealand - about as far away from Shetland as you can get! My grandparents on my father's side were both from the Mainland, and I got to visit there last year.

 

You so don't want to lose the dialect. You don't want it to die out with this generation. It's so beautiful, so unique, so part of what Shetland is. History, culture, and heritage are crucial things. Especially today when everything is becoming americanised. Other countries are fighting to maintain (or even develop) a national identity. You guys already have it!!

 

My father passed on a lot of what he knew, but there are so many stories and poems and legends that I missed out on. I envy you all so very much.

 

 

lynnie

[hjt]

I im most disappointed ta see Kevin sayin we sood tak awa da knittin an gie dialect lessons instead. Eenoo wir seein a gret interest ita knittin so dere's mair an mair young eens wantin ta laern, an I wiz blyde ta see da peerie tings (11 year aald an younger) fae Unst wir demonstratin at da Highlan Show in Edinburgh. An whin it comes ta knittin dere ir a braa twartree dialect wirds associated wi hit.

 

I'm a lok aaldir is Kevin an whin I guid ta schul we wirna allowed ta spaek Shaetlan - da bairns is a lok better aff noo an, as far as I'm awaar, can spaek whit dey laek alto a gret mony o dir teachers dunna hae da dialect. I do ken at laest ee teacher fae England dat's geen oot o her wye da teach dialect wirds, poetry an sae on.

 

Haein sed aa yun I tink da teachin o "proper English" is braaly poor an I'm vexed ta see da evidence o dat in some o da discussion treeds i dis website. Da worst is yun apostrophes dat fok pit apo plural wirds - I can understaand fok gyittin mixed up whin dey ir winderin aboot some apostrophes bit or if du's missin oot a lettter, or whin da ess is added juist becaas dere's mair as een, dere is NAE apostrophe! If you dunna ken whaar da apostrophe gengs juist laeve it oot!

[fish]

weel sed HJT, cude no hae pit hit better me'sell. I mind whin at da skule we wir no allood tae spik Shet'lan in da class even doe we hed been wi da teachers jist twa meenites afore.

 

I know when typing fast in an effort to respond quickly to posts one can make typo-graphical errors but there are more errors here than should be.

[Jordan]

Can anyone tell me the correct way to spell Hamefarin? So far I have:

 

Hamefarin

Hamefirn

[breeksy]

Da first wan looks right tae me.

[Kevin]

I im most disappointed ta see Kevin sayin we sood tak awa da knittin an gie dialect lessons instead. Eenoo wir seein a gret interest ita knittin so dere's mair an mair young eens wantin ta laern, an I wiz blyde ta see da peerie tings (11 year aald an younger) fae Unst wir demonstratin at da Highlan Show in Edinburgh. An whin it comes ta knittin dere ir a braa twartree dialect wirds associated wi hit.

 

I'm a lok aaldir is Kevin an whin I guid ta schul we wirna allowed ta spaek Shaetlan - da bairns is a lok better aff noo an, as far as I'm awaar, can spaek whit dey laek alto a gret mony o dir teachers dunna hae da dialect. I do ken at laest ee teacher fae England dat's geen oot o her wye da teach dialect wirds, poetry an sae on.

 

Haein sed aa yun I tink da teachin o "proper English" is braaly poor an I'm vexed ta see da evidence o dat in some o da discussion treeds i dis website. Da worst is yun apostrophes dat fok pit apo plural wirds - I can understaand fok gyittin mixed up whin dey ir winderin aboot some apostrophes bit or if du's missin oot a lettter, or whin da ess is added juist becaas dere's mair as een, dere is NAE apostrophe! If you dunna ken whaar da apostrophe gengs juist laeve it oot!

 

My point wis dat If skules wir tae start Dialect lessons dey wid likly hae tae drap teachin some idder subject, Knitting wis joost a suggestion (likely cause I canna say I benifited fae it at all), I doubt dey wid drap maths or english for example, maybe da answer is tae add an extra hour ontae een o da school days tae accomadate it all an keep aa'body blyde. I'm brawly sure I ken wha dis is I'm replyin tae wid I be right in tinkin do's a relation?.