No lang syne a new wark anent the dialect o Buchan wis set furth bi the Forum for Speirings anent the Leids o Scotland an Ulster (Forum for Research on the Languages of Scotland and Ulster: FRLSU). Fesht-on an edit bi John Derrick McClure, this description o the Scots speech o Buchan haes its oreeginal in the speirings o the German scholar Eugen Dieth that set furth his Grammar of the Buchan Dialect back in 1932. Dieth wis ettlin tae bring oot a second volume, anent syntax, but dee’d afore he cuid feenish the project. Mony year efter, his scrow wark, jottings an ither speirings wis sent ower tae Scotland an gaed throu twa-three hauns. But Dr Dauvit Murison, that haed a notion tae edit the wark haed, at the hinnerend, tae see it on tae John Derrick McClure throu the sindry ither projects that wis takkin up his time. But, at lang an last, Derrick gaithert thegither this important wark an, as he comments, brocht muckle o the unpublisht speirings intae the licht o day.

In bringin thir sindry notes thegither it’s weel seen that a wheen o ither projects cuid be grundit on Dieth’s wark an Derrick suggests twa-three papers cuid come oot o this yet. In parteeclar, Derrick pits this question: hoo muckle o the kenspeckles o the dialect descrived back in 1932 is in uiss the day, or haes ony o it dwyned awa? The’r shairly a project here weel warth pittin throu hauns.

In the airticle ablow J. Derrick McClure descrives the sindry pairts o speech as drawn fae Dieth’s wark on Buchan an it will dootless mak a rare an haundy guide tae airt aw thaim wi an intress in the speech o the ‘North East knuckle’. We are thankfae tae Derrick for leave tae gie his wark oot tae the publict. Please see ablow for the PDF version.

The Forum for Speirings anent the Leids o Scotland an Ulster wis estaiblisht in 2000 for tae speir-oot the sindry leids an speeches o thir lands, baith nooadays an in bygane times, an is aye lookin for ideas an suggestions for speirings in time tae come. For tae ken mair aboot them please clap yer device on the wabsteid at www.abdn.ac.uk/pfrlsu/ or speir at the heid editor Professor Robert McColl Millar bi gait o email at r.millar@abdn.ac.uk for mair wittins anent confeerences an projects.

The’r a soond file o this story in Scots ablow.