I recently read a wonderful book from the 44 Scotland Street series. In it a little boy from Edinburgh visits Glasgow. At one point as the boy listened to a cab driver he hoped that one day he too could learn the Glaswegian language. When I got to this part of the book all I could do was laugh and wish along with him.
I found these sound clips so that you guys can hear what we are trying to listen to and understand every day. (If you scroll down the page, you will see three different sound clips. If you listen to them all you will hear that everyone else is pretty understandable, except in Glasgow.) I still have no idea what the lady from Glasgow is saying, and if any of you do, I would be sooo happy if you would come here and interpret for us. Half the time we still nod our heads and smile when people on the street talk to us!
This is what the Glaswegian accent SHOULD sound like. And some people do sound like this. Fortunately for us, Mike's professors do talk with this accent as do the people that I work with. Well... most of the time, there are still times that they start talking and I zone out because I have no clue what is going on in the conversation. Mike still has to focus lots of energy in class trying to figure out what in the world his classmates are saying as well. I am glad that I'm not the only one!
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3 comments:
i could only get a few words, something about she was engaged for some amount of time, then something about 5 years and his mother......I can't imagine being able to understand anything when we are there, should be quite an adventure. Love Mom
I just let Maggie and her boyfriend Jeff hear the Glasgow accent and they had no idea what it said but were very proud they could catch a few words...Its an old way of talking but still very common in areas as you have found. The women is telling her friend she's away to cash her pension and then recalling that for the first year before being engaged she went with 'Willy' but then for 5 years after that told payner (must be the pension guy) she was single. Mother said you better tell payner your married but she sais no, she is the oldest girl who does everything and Willy is the youngest in his family with rest of kids married and his mum a widow - only 10 shillings for widows pension. So pretend to be single to help mother. Ends with 'that the right way mind?' being that was the way things were done, remember?
there u's go..form a fellow Scot who still had to listen closely...can you imagine if they had a TA that talked like that!!
Jenni
jenni got it pretty much in a nut shell but i thuoght this might help you. it is ned interpretations. hope it helps. it's also very funny. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uh4-r2TZdXM
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