James Thompson wrote: > Hi all, > > Now that my wife and I have moved to Orkney we're looking forward to > watching British television serials over the long Orkney winter. > Trouble is, most of these have appeared outside of the summers, when > we've been visiting, so we don't know about them. We've discovered > SPOOKS and LIFE ON MARS; but if anyone has others to recommend, we'd > love to hear from you. Jim & Jean, Welcome to Orkney. We rarely watch TV (BBC radio has much better scenery!) but for BBC TV programmes I'd strongly recommend the BBC TV website at <http://www.bbc.co.uk/tv> -- Bruce Fletcher Stronsay, Orkney <www.stronsay.co.uk/claremont> "I’m sorry, you have reached an imaginary number. Please rotate your telephone 90 degrees and dial again"

Thanks, Karen, BTW, we've enjoyed your postings. Jean and I are both recently-retired university librarians so we read a lot, or we did until today when we adoped two mischievous kittens, who are running us a bit ragged at the moment. We have been here in the winter, and we've had the roof fixed so it's no bother. Have you been to Orkney? If you come, or return, drop by and have a cup: Lobady, Hillside Road, Twatt -- it's on the map. Best, Jim (and Jean) (with fond memories of Memphis from when we were first married) > > Enjoy yourself Jim and Jean. Many of us envy you your time in Orkney, > regardless of the weather. Though I think you'll find the winter not as bad as > some would have you think. When the wind blows too hard, it's a good time to > catch up on reading, TV or whatever you feel like. Enjoy it all. > > Karen > (in Memphis) > > > In a message dated 9/6/2007 8:49:54 A.M. Central Daylight Time, > [email protected] writes: > > Hi all, > > Now that my wife and I have moved to Orkney we're looking forward to > watching British television serials over the long Orkney winter. > Trouble is, most of these have appeared outside of the summers, when > we've been visiting, so we don't know about them. We've discovered > SPOOKS and LIFE ON MARS; but if anyone has others to recommend, we'd > love to hear from you. > > Thanks > > Jim Thompson > Jean Swanson > > [email protected] > > > > > > --------------------------------------------- > This message was sent using the UIA Web Mail Server. > ULTIMATE Internet Access, Inc http://www.uia.net/ > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the > body of the message > > > > > > > > ************************************** Get a sneak peek of the all-new AOL at > http://discover.aol.com/memed/aolcom30tour > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > --------------------------------------------- This message was sent using the UIA Web Mail Server. ULTIMATE Internet Access, Inc http://www.uia.net/

Enjoy yourself Jim and Jean. Many of us envy you your time in Orkney, regardless of the weather. Though I think you'll find the winter not as bad as some would have you think. When the wind blows too hard, it's a good time to catch up on reading, TV or whatever you feel like. Enjoy it all. Karen (in Memphis) In a message dated 9/6/2007 8:49:54 A.M. Central Daylight Time, [email protected] writes: Hi all, Now that my wife and I have moved to Orkney we're looking forward to watching British television serials over the long Orkney winter. Trouble is, most of these have appeared outside of the summers, when we've been visiting, so we don't know about them. We've discovered SPOOKS and LIFE ON MARS; but if anyone has others to recommend, we'd love to hear from you. Thanks Jim Thompson Jean Swanson [email protected] --------------------------------------------- This message was sent using the UIA Web Mail Server. ULTIMATE Internet Access, Inc http://www.uia.net/ ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message ************************************** Get a sneak peek of the all-new AOL at http://discover.aol.com/memed/aolcom30tour

Jim and Jean have lived in Orkney off and on for years. They are outdoors people who enjoy the birds and the out-of-doors. They will probably just watch a little TV after dark! What a lot of bad assumptions people are apt to make!! sue Charles Tait <[email protected]> wrote: Why come to Orkney to get square eyed? You can do that anywhere. Plenty better things to do than goggle box, but if you really want to why not get Sky+ and record all your favourite things? I guggest at least a 42 inch widescreen, a Bluray drive and plenty of TV dinners. Far better forget the TV and enjoy the Orkney outdoors, get out and about. Or if all you want is TV sell your house at decent price to a needy young couple and emigrate somewhere warm. ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message --------------------------------- Fussy? Opinionated? Impossible to please? Perfect. Join Yahoo!'s user panel and lay it on us.

If they are Californians....not likely they will be getting out and about much during the winter. Little TV and Lots of books,,,and stay near the fire. Anyone told them where they can cut their peats yet? Or is it already too late for this year? R -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Charlie Petersen Sent: Thursday, September 06, 2007 11:14 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [ORCADIA] Orkney winters Well, Jim - I guess you got told! Not many people know you just moved to Birsay from the Golden State of California - if they have "Footballers Wives" up there, it's a riot - quite funny. And I did watch a mystery program there, like we have on PBS in the states. Good luck, I hope to meet you and Jean next summer when I come. Charlie Petersen USA ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Cynical but heart warming advice. Who cares what is on the box? There are plenty of worthwhile books to be read, and nothing on television that is much loss if it is not seen. Geoffrey

Jim from which part of the Golden State were you? I'm close to Sacramento myself. Stella (currently in a heat wave)

Well, Jim - I guess you got told! Not many people know you just moved to Birsay from the Golden State of California - if they have "Footballers Wives" up there, it's a riot - quite funny. And I did watch a mystery program there, like we have on PBS in the states. Good luck, I hope to meet you and Jean next summer when I come. Charlie Petersen USA

Hi all, Now that my wife and I have moved to Orkney we're looking forward to watching British television serials over the long Orkney winter. Trouble is, most of these have appeared outside of the summers, when we've been visiting, so we don't know about them. We've discovered SPOOKS and LIFE ON MARS; but if anyone has others to recommend, we'd love to hear from you. Thanks Jim Thompson Jean Swanson [email protected] --------------------------------------------- This message was sent using the UIA Web Mail Server. ULTIMATE Internet Access, Inc http://www.uia.net/

I believe that the "dialect vs. language" issue depends more on politics than on purely linguistic factors. F.ex. Swedish consists of dialects that have a different background like English&Scots. Whether it should be recognized to be dialects of the same language or different languages doesn't necessarily rely upon the historical origin. By the political factor I mean that one dialect is recognized like the dominating one, the language of the ruling class, while people who talk other dialects/small languages are supposed to obey and use it in official corresponding, press etc. In other words, if you allow each part of Sweden grow their own dialect and use it instead of "Queen's Swedish" the situation will probably result in similar level of differentiation like between Scots and English. BTW, are there any places on the web where Orcadian dialect (of Scots) is used? Andrei 2007/9/4, Royce Perry <[email protected]>: > > Interesting side note. I am not sure how much credit I give it, but some > linguists are starting to think that "Scots" is not a dialect of English. > That they both branched off of the original Old German trunk language at > about the same point in time. The reason given is the marked vocabulary > differences. Too many words are totally different they think to be > accounted for by local additions and mutations. Anyone heard any recent > information on this? > R > > >

Royce Perry wrote: > So you believe that the book will be reprinted when "Sus scrofa domestica > demonstrates the capability for aerial self transport without recourse to > external mechanical augmenter apparatus?" > R Well, I'm not quite as pessimistic as that, Royce! Brinnoven has produced some quite interesting and attractive publications, and I hope it will sooner or (more probably) later do a good job with "The Orkney Norn" too. Norman T.

Just an update (a somewhat negative one, though) on "The Orkney Norn". I emailed Brinnoven through their website and received no reply. I tried contacting them through their eBay shop but again I've had no response. It's my impression that Brinnoven is a one-man operation and that Bill Murray, the person who runs it, usually seems to be busy with other things so that the activities of Brinnoven very much take second place. We're still left with what the Brinnoven website says, then: that there would be a reprint in August/September of 2007, and that: "After another long and unplanned hiatus, the long-awaited reprint of Hugh Marwick's Orkney Norn is nearing completion and should be on its way to the printers by early August. The new edition of the Orkney Norn will feature an introduction by Dr Robert McColl Millar of Aberdeen University. Dr Millar is well-known for his work as a historical linguist. His most recent work, Northern and Insular Scots, was published by the Edinburgh University Press in January 2007." Well, August has gone and we're into September, but there's no further news of the promised reprint. *Maybe* we'll be pleasantly surprised before too long? Somehow, I don't feel any overwhelming optimism, but you never know... Norman Tulloch

[email protected] wrote: > I'm assuming that I'm not the only one who could not get the Radio Orkney > program again today? > > Karen > > Yes, it's still broken. I have complained long and loud but without reply -- Mike Clouston

So you believe that the book will be reprinted when "Sus scrofa domestica demonstrates the capability for aerial self transport without recourse to external mechanical augmenter apparatus?" R -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Norman Tulloch Sent: Wednesday, September 05, 2007 2:16 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [ORCADIA] Marwick's "Orkney Norn" Just an update (a somewhat negative one, though) on "The Orkney Norn". I emailed Brinnoven through their website and received no reply. I tried contacting them through their eBay shop but again I've had no response. It's my impression that Brinnoven is a one-man operation and that Bill Murray, the person who runs it, usually seems to be busy with other things so that the activities of Brinnoven very much take second place. We're still left with what the Brinnoven website says, then: that there would be a reprint in August/September of 2007, and that: "After another long and unplanned hiatus, the long-awaited reprint of Hugh Marwick's Orkney Norn is nearing completion and should be on its way to the printers by early August. The new edition of the Orkney Norn will feature an introduction by Dr Robert McColl Millar of Aberdeen University. Dr Millar is well-known for his work as a historical linguist. His most recent work, Northern and Insular Scots, was published by the Edinburgh University Press in January 2007." Well, August has gone and we're into September, but there's no further news of the promised reprint. *Maybe* we'll be pleasantly surprised before too long? Somehow, I don't feel any overwhelming optimism, but you never know... Norman Tulloch ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

I'm assuming that I'm not the only one who could not get the Radio Orkney program again today? Karen ************************************** Get a sneak peek of the all-new AOL at http://discover.aol.com/memed/aolcom30tour

Norman. what an incredible site this is. Thanks! Your note inspired me to dig out my "Poetical Works of robert Burns" 1896 edited by J Loggie Robertson M.A. Often wondered what this complete compilation would cost me today. I paid one dollar canadian many years ago, and I read it constantly. I love some of the graces, like the Selkirk, and his numerous works pointed an numerous women. The site you identified gives a new depth to so many of those wonderful works. thanks again.....Stephen On Sep 4, 2007, at 2:21 PM, Norman Tulloch wrote: > If anyone wants a translation of "To a Mouse", go to: > > http://www.worldburnsclub.com/poems/translations/554.htm > > Norman T. > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ORCADIA- > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes > in the subject and the body of the message

stephen davie wrote: > Thanks Norman. > Got to wonder just how the bere version....bygg...is pronounced in > NOrway and in Orkney. Both the same?? I assume from the spelling "big" that the Orcadian pronunciation was with a short i, just as the word is normally pronounced in English. My Chambers Twentieth Century Dictionary (time I upgraded to the Twenty-First Century version?) indicates this pronunciation*, though it gives the spelling as bigg, which it says is "Six-rowed barley: sometimes bear". I don't know anything about the Norwegian pronunciation, I'm afraid. Norman T. *The i as in pin, busy or hymn are the examples the dictionary gives.

Royce Perry wrote: > I thought translating Burns to "English",,especially modern English was akin > to treason? Perhaps even a hanging offence. Most admit it takes a bit of > close reading to get at the meaning though. > R Well, the translation certainly is a pretty lukewarm, wishy-washy, dishwatery kind of thing, but even Scots need to have some of Burns's language translated. Of course, too, Burns was writing in the dialect of a particular part of Scotland; I don't think his contemporaries from, say, Orkney or Aberdeenshire would have found his writing easy to understand — and for Gaelic speakers it might as well have been in Chinese. The translation's a poor thing but there's no shame in having to make use of it! Norman T.

If anyone wants a translation of "To a Mouse", go to: http://www.worldburnsclub.com/poems/translations/554.htm Norman T.

Steve Davie wrote: > I learned that bere is still referred to as 'bygg' in Norway. I > wondered if that word ever still pops up in Orkney, and further how > it is pronounced. Bygg= bye-g or begg or bigg or beeg? hmm The word was certainly used in Orkney in the past. Gregor Lamb in his "Orkney Wordbook" gives three meanings for the word "big": big 1 to build. Bigging 1 a building 2. anything built [also Scots; ON byggia] big 2 big. Big end, the room in the Orkney two-teacher school in which the big children are taught... big 3 barley [ON bygg] Others do indeed say that "bygg" means bere rather than just barley. There's a lot more on the word in the "Dictionary of the Scottish Language" at http://www.dsl.ac.uk/dsl/ Search for the word "big" and look at meaning 5. The word also occurs in some place-names. In "The Place-Names of Birsay" Hugh Marwick refers to a few of them. For example, he writes: "In the 1627 report on Earldom Parishes... is the following: 'ane littel piece land in Birsay callit Bigquoy, not far distant from the kirk, now in the hands of Thomas Swintoune, minister, being designit to him for his gleib.' Probable O.N. bygg-kvi 'bere (barley) quoy'; cf Bigland in Rousay." Marwick also suggests that Bigbreck in Twatt tunship may well be derived from big (bere) + O.N. brekka, a slope. I very much doubt if the word is used now. Meg, I've just seen your message. Bigging, Newbigging and so on aren't connected with bygg/big. See the first meaning given by Gregor Lamb that I quoted above. Bigging just means building. See too this verse from Burns's "To a Mouse": Thy wee-bit housie, too, in ruin! It's silly wa's the win's are strewin! An' naething, now, to big a new ane, O' foggage green! An' bleak December's win's ensuin, Baith snell an' keen! Norman Tulloch