A little Doric History
- AD43: Romans conquest Britain, meeting and defeating Brythonic speaking people in Britain and Pict (type of Brythonic) in the North (Scotland).
- Early 5th century: Romans leave: Irish origin Celtic group (Scoti, spoke old Irish, ancestor of present Scottish Gaelic) invade Pictish territories, in Dal Riata Kingdom (West Scotland)
- Mid 5th century: Angles/ Saxons/ Jutes (all speaking varieties of West Germanic → old english) settle in South-Eastern England, spreading towards North and South
- 6th century: Anglo-saxons reach Lothians, speaking Anglian in the North (Kingdom of Northumbria)
- Starting 793: Vikings arrive in North and East of England: Dane establish the Danelaw, Northumbria is forced to give the Lothians to Gaelic speaking Kingdom of Alba, allowing Gaelic to reach its zenith. This shows the large influence of Norse influence on English.
- So far, Scotland speaks Gaelic and lowlands speak Anglian.
- 1066: Norman invade England, French becomes the formal language in England, and has a large influence on Scotland.
- King Malcolm III (king of Scotland, gaelic) and his wife (anglo-saxon) die, and so begins the decline of Gaelic language.
- Malcolm III’s son, David I, marries William the Conqueror’s great niece, Mathilda, and gives lands and powerful positions to members of Anglo-Norman elite. They are followed by many Northern-England people who speak English from the old Danelaw area.
- David I creates “royal burghs”, cities with trading privileges, that become attractive to people from Northern-England and from abroad (mostly France and low countries, hence the Dutch influence in Scots language).
- Before the 14th century, all texts are written in Latin, which makes it difficult to retrace the language’s evolution.
- Before 17th century: Anglian-Scandinavian from Danelaw + Lothian Anglian/Gaelic in Scotland = Scots language
- 17th century: England and Scotland start uniting, making English most popular because it’s written and easier to use when trading. Scots is less popular. People from Scotland now speak Scottish English: English but pronounced with Scots accent.
- 18th century: upper classes are seized by a passion for Ancient Greece and Roman Culture (hence the greek columns in architecture, amongst others).
- 1707: Scotland and England unite into Great Britain, English is the official language, Scots is reclassified as a provincial dialect, no longer a language. Scots undergoes a fragmentation between different names, regions, alternatives dialects.
- 1721: Allan Ramsay (scottish poet) uses the word Doric for the first time as an alternative to Scots. It comes from Doria, a region of Ancient Greece, mostly known for its country and peasantry.
- Upper classes look down on Scots because it is considered as a rustic language used in the country, so they associated it to Doric.
- 1792: Doric is used for the first time to talk about North-East Scots. Aberdeen and other counties keep a very strong sense of continuity, tradition.
- After 20th century: Doric declined with industrialisation and trade increasing. North-East organisations use it refer to the local way of life (farming, fishing…)
- Since 1970’s: North-East Organisations want to increase distinctness of the region.
- Since 1993: Doric Festival makes Doric culture more and more famous.
Here is a map showing the evolution of the Doric Language in the British Isles
Fit a we daein’ tae keep Doric alive an kickin?
Education
In 2015 the Scottish Government launched the Scots Language Policy. It commits to raise the profile of the Scots Language, support Scots, recognise its valuable heritage, and promote its popularity and recognition. The policy identifies Scots as an essential element of the culture and heritage of Scotland, and a familiar aspect of song, poetry, and literature, and a recognised feature of how Scots express themselves in community life.
The Scots language changes between each region, so it is vital that the educational curriculum represents this. When proposed that Gaelic would be learnt across the whole of Scotland, many believed that Doric was just as or more critical to the culture in Aberdeenshire. Respondents emphasised their concern when given the question, “Do you have any suggestions on how Aberdeenshire Council can support the Gaelic language?” They answered;
“It is a great pity that a West coast/Irish language should be forced into an area with a very strong tradition of Doric that is being slowly eroded away by the whims of the few holding the purse strings. Our language in Scotland and Great Britain is English and any language plan should be focused on teaching the youngsters how to read, write, and communicate properly in English, not on some regional archaic tongue.”
“In Aberdeenshire, you should not only be promoting Gaelic, which is mostly spoken in the West of Scotland, but you should be focussing on Doric as well.”
In 2017, it was approved for Doric to be introduced into the curriculum of Aberdeenshire schools from 2020. The Doric dialect is under threat, and its teaching is being encouraged in schools. Support for Gaelic does not diminish support for Doric. It believed that support for any Scottish minority language benefits all Scottish minority languages.
Now, Aberdeenshire Council regards Doric, in both written and spoken forms as a valid means of communication. Students who have Doric as their first language at home and use it with friends every day should not be disadvantaged at school. Using the dialect should not reduce their self-esteem or prevent them from reaching their academic potential. Aberdeenshire Council allows the children to develop confidence in their language. Non-Doric speakers will be given the opportunity to engage with and learn Doric, equipping them with the skills for the world of work and life-long learning.
Aberdeenshire Council wishes to ensure active support for Doric schools for children aged 3-18. Children will be entitled to the following:
- Learn about Doric and the value of Doric in day to day life, culture, and history in the North East.
- Develop an understanding of Doric as an integral part of their education and be clear about the value and benefits of Doric.
- Given opportunities to engage in learning through Doric and about Doric.
- Learn in an environment that promotes diversity and supports Doric as part of this.
Children aged 3- 5 are to be placed in environments that are rich in Doric experiences. They will be shown Doric books, wall displays, and activities that can be firmly developed in child play. They will learn Doric vocabulary and language through role-play, rhymes, stories, and games.
Primary and Secondary Schools (for children aged 5- 18) create environments where children are exposed to Doric texts, books, visual displays, and dialogue. It is to be celebrated when children make efforts in Doric learning as they develop their skills and increase their understanding of the dialect. Multiple methods and materials are used to support learning inclusively, giving teachers the opportunity to teach other lessons in Doric, rather than English. From 2020, children in Scotland will be required to acquire an additional language (L2) on top of their mother tongue from P1. In P5, they will have to begin learning a second language (L3) for a minimum of three years. In Aberdeenshire, Doric can be taught as the L3 language. There is a possibility that if Doric is chosen as an L3, it can be taught further at secondary school level with the opportunity to receive an SQA Scots Language Award. As well as language study, cultural and historical aspects of Doric will provide learners with opportunities for learning about their local area and Scotland as a whole.
The Doric Bus
In 2014, First Bus Aberdeen introduced ‘The Doric Bus’ to recognise the companies Aberdeen routes. The bus displays several Doric phrases on panels on the bus. In addition to this, every First bus in Aberdeen is to have one Doric phrase inside. The company is proud of its Doric routes and hopes that this project will raise awareness of the Doric dialect in the city. As children and visitors travel on the buses, there is hope that they will see the phrase and ensure that the dialect continues to prosper.
Doric Film Festival
In 2019, Scots Radio launched the Doric Film Festival to celebrate the North East culture. People across the North East were invited to submit a video no longer than five minutes based on the title ‘Fit Dis the North East O Scotland Mean Tae Me?’. The entire film had to be spoken entirely in Doric, whether it be created individually, with a community group, or as a school. Poetry, drama, and history were combined in a total of thirty-two entries that were submitted. A formal award ceremony was held at Belmont Film House in which winners for each of the three categories were announced and awarded with £500. The winners were as follows;
Individual
Andre Saunders with ‘Big Hoose’
Community Group
Torry Heritage Group with ‘A Future Shapit by the Past’
School
Meethill Primary School with ‘Oor Bloo Toon’
The Doric Film Festival was awarded ‘Project O the Year’ at the 2019 Scots Language Awards in Glasgow. Due to its success, the festival is open for submissions once again until April 2020.
The Doric Board
The Doric Board is offering grants of £1000 to applicants that reside in North East Scotland to fund events that promote the Doric dialect, traditions, and culture in the area. Applications due in December 2019 and will be granted to successful candidates in January 2020.
The goal is to make the Doric dialect more commonly accepted in Scotland. People should have the confidence and ability to speak Doric throughout their day, not just in the privacy of their own home. By assisting people in promoting the dialect, there is confidence that Doric will continue to prosper.
Scots Radio
Scots Radio is an online radio produced and presented by Frieda Morrison. With support from Creative Scotland, Scots Language Centre, and Steve Byrne, Scots Radio was set up in late 2013 and continues to thrive today. The programme discusses a range of topics in each episode, such as history, the environment, food, agriculture, and many more. Presenters and guests speak in their native dialect. Voices from across Scotland can be heard uttering a variety of dialects including Doric. Seeing and hearing Doric in the media spikes enthusiasm for the dialect and gives native speakers the confidence to use it in every aspect of their lives, not just at home. From the North East, Frieda Morrison’s first language is Doric which allowed to her win ‘Scots Speaker o the Year’ at the 2019 Scots Language Awards. In both 2017 and 2018 Scots Radio was nominated for ‘Best Magazine Show’ at the Celtic Media Festival where they were up against shows from the BBC.
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