DORIC
Fit is “Doric”? Doric is the wye north-East folk spik. I suppose ye wid ca’ it an accent or a dialect.
Fin I wis a loon, I didna’ ken that I spoke Doric or hid an accent. Ye see, the wye I spoke wis learnt at my midder’s knee an’ abody roon’ aboot a’ spoke i same wye. Bit fin I wis nearly five ma femily flitted fae Buchan awa’ doon sooth tae Perthshire an’ fin I started the skweel, I got a richt stammagaster kis abody spoke different fae me! I hid a richt crabbit, ill nettered aal wifie for a teacher. She didna like me nor the wye I spoke, bit I kent naething else. The wye I spoke wis the wye I hid been spikken a’ ma life! So I got ower the coals ilky day fae this teacher till I learnt tae spik the richt gait. Bit as seen as I got hame at nicht, I could spik my ain wye again and so it has been tae this day.
Nooadays, I can spik like a native fae Perthshire or even proper schoolroom English bit I still spik the Doric in my ain hoose, tae my ain folk, bairns an’ grandchildren as weel. It juist seems the maist natural thing tae dee.
Bit I files worry aboot oor Buchan culture. The bairns noo dinna spik tae een anither the wye they eased till a generation ago. They a’ spik affa’ polite an’ are a’ richt weel spoken. Noo, ‘at’s a’ richt, bit I think there’s a creepin’ Anglicisation o’ wir north-east culture an’ if we loss the ability tae spik Doric we loss an invaluable link tae wir past an’ wir fore-fadders.
TRANSLATION
What is “Doric”? Doric is the way north-east people speak. I suppose you would call it an accent or dialect.
When I was a boy, I didn’t know that I spoke Doric or had an accent. You see, the way I spoke was learned at my mother’s knee and everyone in the area spoke the same way. But when I was nearly five my family moved from Buchan down south to Perthshire and when I started school I got a shock because everyone spoke differently from me! I had a stern, bad tempered old woman for a teacher. She didn’t like me nor the way I spoke, but I knew nothing else. The way I spoke was the way I had been talking all my life! So I got into trouble every day from this teacher until I learned to speak “properly”. However, as soon as I got home at night, I could converse in my own way again and so it has been to this day.
Nowadays, I can speak like a native from Perthshire or even proper schoolroom English but I still speak Doric in my own home to my family, children and grandchildren. It just seems the most natural thing to do.
However, I worry about our Buchan culture. The children now don’t talk to one another the way they used to a generation ago. They all converse politely and are very well spoken. Now that is fine but it seems that there is a creeping Anglicisation of our north-east culture and if we lose the ability to converse in Doric, we lose an invaluable link with our past and our forefathers.
Footnote from the author to Doric Future: “I watched some of your videos, good quality”.
Other work by Allan Thomson
All proceeds from his book @The Moss O’ Rora’ go to Ninewells Hospital cancer campaign.
Join the Doric TV Community today
We very much hope you will join our Doric TV Community by clicking on the link below, could you please share a link to this page with anyone else you think may be interested in being part of our community.