Are some Scottish and Irish accents really inintelligeble?

Travis   Wed Feb 08, 2006 8:28 am GMT
>>Another solution (mainly for the Scotltish accent problem) is to differentiate Scots (Lallans) and English, particularly at school. Don:t know about the rest of you but I was always told Scots words were slang, only later finding out they are at least a dialect, or arguably a different language.<<

The problem here is that Scots is close enough to English that such ideas that Scots is just "bad English" or like will actually be believed by some. Of course, then, if one bases things on actual crossintelligibility, it is clear that Scots is a separate language from English, if one close to it.

>>Ken whit ah mean, like?<<

This one was rather transparent, but then this is just a single short phrase in isolation.

>>Gie us ur ain leid ya knob jockies!<<

This one took a good bit of thought before I understood it, and the only real reason for such was that I already knew "leid" meant "language" in Scots. Even then, I can only guess what "knob jockies" is supposed to mean.

That said, I find that it is very hard to really fully understand long passages of written Scots that is not horribly anglicized, and furthermore from what I've heard, written Scots is generally far more understandable to literate native English-speakers than spoken Scots.
Damian in Dun Eidann   Wed Feb 08, 2006 10:58 am GMT
***written Scots is generally far more understandable to literate native English-speakers than spoken Scots***

Exactly, and I cannae tell you how much of an advantage that is.
Adam   Wed Feb 08, 2006 6:38 pm GMT
Scots int a language, er else ma Boltonian "accen' " is a language, annall.

Bliimin ' eck, ah cun wri' it dehwn. So it's a language, fur Chriss sake.
Adam   Wed Feb 08, 2006 6:41 pm GMT
"hawl by the way am fae glesag (glasgow for you's daft english!) n a hink we huv the best accent in the whole ae britian, you's english huv goat a check tae tok btw your accents ir mare harder tae understoan coz ya accents ir shit , we gleswegians ir much better than you's daft english in you's ir just jealous ae us scots ya fucking english pricks, get tae fuck england yees ir hated and we ir rated so FUCK OFF!!!! n stoap trying tae bring us scots doon coz you's huvnae got a great nd loved reputation nd nature nd culture like us scots so quit bein jealous ya fannys!! n get ya shity accents tae fuck ya bunch ae english fucks, we ir nuttin likes you's n we wid b so embaressed if we wir we wid b hated if wir like you's but GLADY we're no, so if yi canny understoan this ya english dicks then listen tae ur accents they ir WORST!!! by the way, so stoap getting jealous ya english fucks, FOREVER SCOTLAND AND PROUD!!!!!!!! "

Annutha pulite Celt.

Why 'r all Celts such pulite peepul? E's juss like tha' Irishmun oo always posts 'ere - ee's veri pulite, annall.
Adam   Wed Feb 08, 2006 6:45 pm GMT
Why are Celts so POLITE? Here we have a very polite and charming Scotsman (you can tell that because of the way he can't spell properly and because he loves saying "Aye pal, ah hate the wee English b"stards")

He reminds me of the other polite Celt who always posts on here, who calls himself "Guest" and uses similar, polite language.

The Celts "hate the English" but only manage to survive on English subsidies. That's where they get their money to buy alcohol and post pleasant comments like the one above.
Guest   Wed Feb 08, 2006 8:57 pm GMT
This Celt is not from the UK so please don't make such a sweeping statement that suggests England supports all Celtic nations. We know the English to be a charming and charitable race which goes around the world giving away their wealth but it isn't directed at all the Celtic nations or what you think are Celtic nations. Scotland may be subsidised at the moment but you forget about the massive amount of wealth that was generated from the oil fields off Scotland. Who benefited from that? Was it only the Scots or did England stick their hands into the loot.
Guest   Thu Feb 09, 2006 1:39 pm GMT
"The Celts hate the English"
In all fairness Adam, the English are the only people who love the English. Most other countries don't exactly adore England, mainly because of likes of you who reside in there. There are plenty of good reasons to why this is the case.
Sorcha   Mon Feb 13, 2006 9:11 pm GMT
Well I'm Irish and I have trouble understanding English people sometimes. But then I have trouble understanding Irish people sometimes. Tourists NEVER understand me!!
Irish Guy   Mon Feb 13, 2006 9:21 pm GMT
Which county are you from, Sorcha?
Brian   Mon Apr 24, 2006 9:50 pm GMT
I emigrated from Canada to Scotland some years ago and although hearing a broad West Coast accent spoken all the time at school did seem strange at first I never had much trouble actually understanding anyone. The only trouble I had was that some words are spoken in Scots dialect by some people eg "give" was often spoken "gi'e" and "remember" was often spoken as "mind". Apart from that, no problems. I find it quite hard to believe that North Americans or English people can actualy find it hard to understand any Scottish accent, no disrespect intended ;)

But then, I've heard an American (claiming to be a "Yankee" ) complain that they have trouble understanding someone from Tennesse.
Jim C, Eofforwic   Mon Apr 24, 2006 10:35 pm GMT
I think it is often a matter of speed, my Welsh uncle speaks so fast I sometimes can't understand him. As for my sisters Irish boyfriend, he often appologises for speaking too fast, It just takes getting used to different rhythms, once you understand the tempo, you dont hear any difference anymore.
Historian   Sun Jun 11, 2006 7:42 pm GMT
I hope that the traditional Scottish and Irish accents can be preserved. I like how they sound.
Chris   Sun Jun 11, 2006 8:47 pm GMT
>> Other reports I've read claim that American English is also making in- roads into both Ireland and Scotland. <<

In vocabulary only. Certainly not in pronunciation
Presley.   Mon Jun 12, 2006 5:28 am GMT
Looky here!

http://www.ku.edu/~idea/europe/scotland/scotland2.mp3

It was very difficult to understand.
Presley.   Mon Jun 12, 2006 5:30 am GMT
This is a very interesting website:

http://www.ku.edu/~idea/

I spent way too much time listening to samples.