Irrespective of the political fallout from the independence referendum,the UK’s language patchwork is stronger having retained the rich tradition of ScotsThere is an veteran Scottish joke, no doubt baffling to the majority of English speakers, and that goes something like this: what achieve you call a pigeon that goes to Aviemore for its holidays? A skean dhu.whether you’re not laughing,don’t feel too bad, as the joke neatly illustrates how comprehension of language is intrinsically linked with considerations of geography, and pronunciation and dialect. Throw in a punchline that borrows from Scottish Gaelic,and the joke becomes incomprehensible to all but most Scots.[br]Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com