Nae ootlanders amang the Linenhall Ulster-Scots competition judges

THE Linenhall Library Ulster-Scots scrievin competition is noo in its sixth year, a year that marks some significant changes tae what’s come afore.

Ower that time 13 different bards an scrievers hae kerried the gree, giein a guid heize tae Ulster-Scots.

Four o them are frae North Antrim, which isnae bad – William Dickey frae Ballymena, Angela Graham frae Ballycastle, mysell a wheen o times an Ronnie McIlhatton also frae Ballymoney.

Though organised bae the library, the Ulster-Scots Agency pits up the siller fur the competition.

Syne the stert, the Linenhall haes aye wauled a guid hantle o independent judges amang the mair kenspeckle faces.

Jist richt, giein the liberal roots o the institution foundit bae monie o the saem folk formit the United Irishmen weel ower 230 year syne.

Thare haes aye bin three judges, ower the five year, amang them Ulster University’s Dr. Frank Ferguson, Scottish poet Stuart Patterson, Scottish Scots leid activist Alastair Heather, Dr. Carol Baranuik, an this past twa year Professor Wesley Hutchinson, Dr. Jennifer Orr an Mathew Warrick (then) o the Ulster-Scots Community network.

This year’s waulin is aa inbye the kenspeckle Ulster-Scots scene – wi nae what I wud caa 'ootlanders' at aa.

Ulster-Scots Commissioner Lee Reynolds, Newtownards schule maister (leevin in Scotlan)

Stephen Dornan, an BBC broadcaster Helen Mark are aa weel kent in local Ulster-Scots circles.

Reynolds kens his leid, an kens weel depletion in the hairtlan areas, an is an advocate o reclamation.

Stephen Dornan’s buik Tha Jaa Banes, published bae the Ulster-Scots Language Society, is predicated on reclamation wi a hantle o loast an antrin words.

Helen Mark, lik Lee, isnae a scriever, bit baith were on the Ulster-Scots Panel o Experts, wha's report wuz commissioned bae the Department for Communities in 2022.

Ulster-Scots leid exists on a continuum – scrievin wi a mair reclaimed leid is on wan en – oddtimes caad ‘academic Scots’ or ‘literary Scots.’

On the ither is the mair tradeetional mixed register o leid an culture blendit – hae a scance at the 17 issues o the Ulster-Scots Language Society journal Ullans fur a pree – its maistly scrieved in English.

I jalouse this year, we’ll see a move bak tae the mair trad hybrid leid/culture ethos, baith in scrievin , an thematically, in the results.

Hopefully the drouth o ootlanders disnae narra maitters.

RECLAIM THE LEID

Dinnae forgit – learn a word, reclaim the leid (language), wi gey an guid dictionaries aye (always) there tae help.

Why not hae a keek (peep) at the http://www.ulsterscotsacademy.com/ or the (Dictionaries of Scots Language) https://dsl.ac.uk/

If ye hear ony rare sounin wurds, or if ye hae a photta wi an Ulster-Scots caption or onything tae add tae wurds or phrases that appear, then contact us on 077 950 121 47

Glossary

scrievin – writing ; scriever – writer; kerried the gree – lifted the laurels ; wheen – few; siller – money ; wauled – picked ; hantle – a good amount; antrin - unusual/rare; kenspeckle – familiar; gaein – given; twa – two; inbye – inside; jaa banes – jaw bones; scance – scrutinize jalouse – surmise