Juan Du Braz

God knows how out Eastern European brothers feel. Fortunately they are so busy working at Shetland Catch and our hotels no-one's bother to ask them. As for when in Rome, McMess. Interesting. Spoken Latin was closer in form to modern Spanish than the stuff yakked in chapel. In fact, spoken Latin was never properly recorded because it was a bar steward language, like english. Latin evolved due to the empire, other cultures and slavery. Seriously, I have no issue with Shetlandic! Only when the small minded use it to exclude others. Oh, I've never seen Glaswegian in the printed press other than in cartoon strips in the Evening Times. It has been a pleasure debating and berating. When we stop arguing the point then there is nothing left to care about. Cheers guys.

I agree Infiltrator But if it is a dialect is necessary to use why not use it off the boat? If i went to Iceland I'm sure I'd try to converse in the local lingo. If it takes 20 years before I'm aloud to incorporate common words into my speech that hardly represents quick social integration. I could live in Hamburg and speak German without an accent in half that time.

McMess Once again good points. When you speak on the mainland you are a curiosity due to your accent and 'funny' words I bet. I also bet you tell people about Shetland and it's a massive surprise to them. But imagine it's the other way round in Shetland. This island's done a great job of keeping itself secret.

Trout Google doesn't have a Shetland Dialect tool on it. I'd do a search but am worried I get a result that doesn't properly reflect the Shetland Identity. Couldn't have a global corporation doing that to us!! Yes, I have thought about getting on the committee but think I may have mixed up my whole Viking/Weegie heritage. I planned to build the galley, sail it to Aberdeen and ram it into the beach. After theat the squad would pillage Boots for meth and markies for quality underwear and thereafter ravage virgins in the Torry area. This may require a second night due to projected procurement difficulties.

Trout Your objectivity as a moderator is threatened here. If you are putting exclusion down to lack of understanding and saying 'research the shetland identity' then you are complicit in what I'm talking about. The Shetland Identity is not wrapped in the wooly home comforts of yesteryear. Dilution is the by product of a global culture. There is a fine line between celebrating one's culture and protectionism. I'll ask a simple question. If I learn all the Shetland words and pepper my conversation with them in day to day use how will I be perceived? Will it be seen as a commendable effort or a soothmoother trying to be something he is not? I know the answer but I'm interested how it's explained away.

Not being funny, but what is 'trolling'. In my limited understanding this involves hiding under bridges and scaring billy goats. Could be wrong though.

When I typed 'tam' I meant 'team'. Not 'tam' as in feminine hygiene product! Pweez don't kill this thread Mr Mod. I'll clean your pool for the rest of the month!

I agree with everything you say. The dialect is brilliant and I have the coasters with the words on it. My point is that if the dialect is strong it'll look after itself. I just don't like it being 'laid on thick' or forced on others. It should be a right to speak whatever way you like. I remember a colleague telling me the Shetland word for dried out ladybits (avoiding vulgarity) and I laughed so much I nearly prolapsed my bottom positioned orifice. As for facts and figures, 31% of people in this country are employed in collating stats. I know this because I've got a tam working on it. Well informed debate on other threads in all well but we need some emotive riffing on a hot topic. Bet it's got yeez thinking!

"a completely insensitive, narrow-minded, petty, little bigot" In the words of the King, "Ah thank you". By the way, I dont think Islamic militancy is a condition. It's a religious doctrine. Hey but you'll know best. Dig out the facts and figures on that one and I'll supply the baby oil! In relation to laughing at heart disease and cancer, if you'd had them you would find a way to laugh. If you've got them now...type faster!

So from the replies to my thread I'm not allowed to question 1) The use of dialect in the written word in Shetland and how it may exclude new community members. 2) Autism. Is there any other pillar of Shetland society that is off limits? I'd better not mention the Jarl Squad and the correlation with repressed homosexuality. Aaargh, too late! PS I thought Dialects chased Dr Who.

Yeah marooned, I should have picked alcoholism, depression or drug related illnesses instead. High horses don't get people anywhere. Hop on down and join the debate. Or is it more fun being PC? BRB - going to wash my Panto villian's cloak for the morning.

Yup I do. I also laugh at Islamic militants, cancer and heart attacks. However, I do understand that an autism sufferer would never have piloted a plane into the twin towers.....they'd have been too busy counting the windows. Come on, get back on topic!

We should all take a leaf out the great Michael Bolton's book. In a moment of blinding clarity he sang: "How can we be lovers if we can't be friends..." I think we should give this a go...unless you live in Quarff and turn up at my door holding jam (Ye olde Quarff swingers reference). As for criticising Geordies and the Welsh. What language were Gazza, Shirley Bassey and Tom Jones' autobiographies written in? Exactly!!

Sorry Nautim, Understood everything apart from the last bit. Jeez, cant a guy throw out a petty ill informed insult without some BBC researcher getting on his case? To all the autistism suffers, I apologise. I heard that fact from my friend who heard it on the radio. So get your pitchforks and flaming torches round to Ian from SIBC..... I'm sure that autism is no higher here than elsewhere. However, I'm just off the 'dog and bone' (thats for you Sludge) to the NBA (National Banjo Association) and they inform me that uptake of the instrument on these fair isles is 3 times the national average. This number increases to 5 times national average in Northmavine. --Now that's gotta worth a spanking from the moderator! Do me baby!

The point is moderator is that is one wished to be insulting about Shetland one could pick a litany of areas to poke fun at. For us Weegie's (the gene is strong) it would be violence, sectarianism and deep fried anything leading to inevitable and premature death. If we didn't laugh about it we'd cry. I'll take the **** out of anyone but I'll defend their right to do the same with me. However, your point regarding social exclusion is the one I'm trying to get at. I'll put it this way. The Shetland Times is published in English. Why? So that it can read and digested by the widest possible readership. When a letter is written in dialect and printed what does that letter say? I think it says that it is written by a Shetlander and its content is intended to be understood by a Shetlander. But lets hypothosize that a German (not Hitler - he was Austrian anyroads) relocates here. He or she is flicking through the paper and albeit fluent in English comes to dialect letter and can't make out a word. That letter may be saying the most important thing on the planet but the message is lost. Is that not exclusion from the debate? Is that not saying you can only join the debate if you speak a certain way? Language, words and dialect only become a problem if they stifle communication. Lack of communication leaves people feeling isolated.