Jose, your comment on using 'I amn't' brought back memories of when I took a class in English something or other at university. The instructor was a gentleman from the Middle East. I think I took the pins out from under him when I noted that 'I amn't' was a very common contraction in Scotland for 'I am not'. I supposed he figured he knew all that there was to know in contractions of the English language. Being a somewhat insulated Glaswegian, I thought 'I amn't' was particular to the No Mean City. We were definitely 'bilingual' in the use of the English language, such as "Gie's a dod o' paper!" Even within the context of Glesga patter, a dod of paper was not quite correct as dod more or less meant a lump of something; a sheet of paper could not be a dod...but we all knew what we meant, even the 'office types!' All in the nuance, I suppose. Apropos little: I once saw a movie where the spy had English down pat, but what tipped off his adversaries was how he used his knife and fork! Maisie -----Original Message----- From: Jose Jones Sent: Friday, December 04, 2015 6:52 AM To: Maisie Egger ; lanark@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [Lanark] Scottish Word for Today 12.3.2015: Expressions Thank you for yet another gem, Maisie. I have long lived south of the border, and although I too come from newton Stewart, I’m not really aware of the word reversal thing. However, when we abbreviated "I am not” we would say “I amn’t” instead of the English “I’m not”. I still say this and it’s probably the main part of my speech that betrays my origins. Jose > On 2 Dec 2015, at 22:10, Maisie Egger via <lanark@rootsweb.com> wrote: > > Scottish Word for Today > December 3, 2015 > > > Expressions: > > A friend who hails from Newton Stewart, Wigtownshire, sometimes changes > the word order around in a sentence, as an example: “Weeks they have been > there.” > > Some areas in this part of Southwest Scotland were once (Irish) Gaelic > speaking. As there was a lot of traffic between Ireland and Scotland, one > wonders if the English speech pattern was influenced by Scottish Gaelic, > Erse, or if this is just regional. (Take note, Glaswegians, Erse is > herein used with a capital E, and is not in reference to one’s bahoochey!) > > In Glasgow, word order was also changed around as in “What like is it?” > Again, as Glasgow, during and after the Irish famine in the mid-1800s, was > inundated with thousands of Irish ‘refugees,’ bringing their own manner of > speech and Erse, it is a question of who influenced whom in sentence > structure with words sometimes used backside foremost. Personally, I was > somewhat taken aback when I came to this side of the world and was > questioned/corrected as to why I would ask, “What like is it?” instead of > “What’s it like?” > > Another difference in word order is the expression “Ye’re a lang time > deid. ” which would be more likely expressed elsewhere as “You‘re dead a > long time.” in Standard English. It’s not quite the same as the Scottish > version which is a caution to get on with whatever you are doing now for > there’s no time left. > > Note: More on rammy from Lanark lister cmchouston: tramash (stramash) > and stooshie. > > Maisie

Hi Maisie Not wishing to burst any bubbles but I wouldn't say amn't is specific to Glasgow or even Scotland I am from Leicestershire in the Midlands and have used it all my life as have friends and acquaintances Nivard Ovington in Cornwall (UK) On 04/12/2015 19:24, Maisie Egger via wrote: > Jose, your comment on using 'I amn't' brought back memories of when I took > a class in English something or other at university. The instructor was a > gentleman from the Middle East. I think I took the pins out from under him > when I noted that 'I amn't' was a very common contraction in Scotland for 'I > am not'. I supposed he figured he knew all that there was to know in > contractions of the English language. > > Being a somewhat insulated Glaswegian, I thought 'I amn't' was particular > to the No Mean City. We were definitely 'bilingual' in the use of the > English language, such as "Gie's a dod o' paper!" Even within the context > of Glesga patter, a dod of paper was not quite correct as dod more or less > meant a lump of something; a sheet of paper could not be a dod...but we all > knew what we meant, even the 'office types!' All in the nuance, I suppose. > > Apropos little: I once saw a movie where the spy had English down pat, but > what tipped off his adversaries was how he used his knife and fork! > > Maisie --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

Just goes to show how insular one can be. The use of 'I amn't' is obviously a 'universal truth' throughout the U.K., but totally unused, shall we say, on the other side of the Atlantic. I have never of the use of 'I amn't' even by 'hillbillies' who reputedly have retained many older words and expression from the U.K., but which are no longer used by the general population. 'I ain't' seems to cover all, and is used as emphasis by some standard English users. Thanks for broadening my 'education,' Nivard. Maisie -----Original Message----- From: Nivard Ovington via Sent: Friday, December 04, 2015 11:45 AM To: lanark@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [Lanark] Fw: Scottish Word for Today 12.3.2015: Expressions Hi Maisie Not wishing to burst any bubbles but I wouldn't say amn't is specific to Glasgow or even Scotland I am from Leicestershire in the Midlands and have used it all my life as have friends and acquaintances Nivard Ovington in Cornwall (UK) On 04/12/2015 19:24, Maisie Egger via wrote: > Jose, your comment on using 'I amn't' brought back memories of when I > took > a class in English something or other at university. The instructor was a > gentleman from the Middle East. I think I took the pins out from under him > when I noted that 'I amn't' was a very common contraction in Scotland for > 'I > am not'. I supposed he figured he knew all that there was to know in > contractions of the English language. > > Being a somewhat insulated Glaswegian, I thought 'I amn't' was particular > to the No Mean City. We were definitely 'bilingual' in the use of the > English language, such as "Gie's a dod o' paper!" Even within the context > of Glesga patter, a dod of paper was not quite correct as dod more or less > meant a lump of something; a sheet of paper could not be a dod...but we > all > knew what we meant, even the 'office types!' All in the nuance, I > suppose. > > Apropos little: I once saw a movie where the spy had English down pat, > but > what tipped off his adversaries was how he used his knife and fork! > > Maisie --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus ------------------------------- WHEN REPLYING to a post please remember to snip most of the earlier message. Be sure the reply to address shows as LANARK@Rootsweb.com. You may contact the List Admin at lanark-admin@rootsweb.com or click on the following link to the list information page online: http://lists.rootsweb.ancestry.com/index/intl/SCT/LANARK.html ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to LANARK-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Hi All, 'I amn't' may not be a unique Glasgow usage, but 'ahmurnae' surely is - as in the expression "ur ye gaun ra jiggin'?" - "Nawahmurnae!" Ken On 04/12/2015 20:14, Maisie Egger via wrote: > Just goes to show how insular one can be. > > The use of 'I amn't' is obviously a 'universal truth' throughout the U.K., > but totally unused, shall we say, on the other side of the Atlantic. I have > never of the use of 'I amn't' even by 'hillbillies' who reputedly have > retained many older words and expression from the U.K., but which are no > longer used by the general population. 'I ain't' seems to cover all, and is > used as emphasis by some standard English users. > > Thanks for broadening my 'education,' Nivard. > > Maisie > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Nivard Ovington via > Sent: Friday, December 04, 2015 11:45 AM > To: lanark@rootsweb.com > Subject: Re: [Lanark] Fw: Scottish Word for Today 12.3.2015: Expressions > > Hi Maisie > > Not wishing to burst any bubbles but I wouldn't say amn't is specific to > Glasgow or even Scotland > > I am from Leicestershire in the Midlands and have used it all my life as > have friends and acquaintances > > Nivard Ovington in Cornwall (UK) > > On 04/12/2015 19:24, Maisie Egger via wrote: >> Jose, your comment on using 'I amn't' brought back memories of when I >> took >> a class in English something or other at university. The instructor was a >> gentleman from the Middle East. I think I took the pins out from under him >> when I noted that 'I amn't' was a very common contraction in Scotland for >> 'I >> am not'. I supposed he figured he knew all that there was to know in >> contractions of the English language. >> >> Being a somewhat insulated Glaswegian, I thought 'I amn't' was particular >> to the No Mean City. We were definitely 'bilingual' in the use of the >> English language, such as "Gie's a dod o' paper!" Even within the context >> of Glesga patter, a dod of paper was not quite correct as dod more or less >> meant a lump of something; a sheet of paper could not be a dod...but we >> all >> knew what we meant, even the 'office types!' All in the nuance, I >> suppose. >> >> Apropos little: I once saw a movie where the spy had English down pat, >> but >> what tipped off his adversaries was how he used his knife and fork! >> >> Maisie > --- > This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. > https://www.avast.com/antivirus > > > ------------------------------- > > WHEN REPLYING to a post please remember to snip most of the earlier message. > Be sure the reply to address shows as LANARK@Rootsweb.com. > > You may contact the List Admin at lanark-admin@rootsweb.com or click on the > following link to the list information page online: > http://lists.rootsweb.ancestry.com/index/intl/SCT/LANARK.html > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > LANARK-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes > in the subject and the body of the message > > > ------------------------------- > > WHEN REPLYING to a post please remember to snip most of the earlier message. Be sure the reply to address shows as LANARK@Rootsweb.com. > > You may contact the List Admin at lanark-admin@rootsweb.com or click on the following link to the list information page online: > http://lists.rootsweb.ancestry.com/index/intl/SCT/LANARK.html > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to LANARK-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > ----- > No virus found in this message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 2015.0.6176 / Virus Database: 4477/11110 - Release Date: 12/04/15 > >