Scots Norse: Difference between revisions

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Scots Norse originates in the mid to late 13th century, around the time Suðreyjar was handed over to Scotland with the [[w:Treaty of Perth|Treaty of Perth]]. Though the language would continue to be largely unchanged from the Old Norse of the 12th century, 1266AD is often used as a dividing date between Old Norse and the earliest forms of Scots Norse. While 1266 is a relatively arbitrary date, it serves its purpose as a convenient divide between two stages, as following the Treaty of Perth, the Hebrides would gain a much larger population of [[w:Gaelic|Gaelic]] and [[w:English|English]] speakers (At this point still Middle Irish and [[w:Middle English|Middle English]]), and from roughly 1450AD onward, Scots Norse would be increasingly influenced by Scots Gaelic and, to a lesser extent, Scots.
Scots Norse originates in the mid to late 13th century, around the time Suðreyjar was handed over to Scotland with the [[w:Treaty of Perth|Treaty of Perth]]. Though the language would continue to be largely unchanged from the Old Norse of the 12th century, 1266AD is often used as a dividing date between Old Norse and the earliest forms of Scots Norse. While 1266 is a relatively arbitrary date, it serves its purpose as a convenient divide between two stages, as following the Treaty of Perth, the Hebrides would gain a much larger population of [[w:Gaelic|Gaelic]] and [[w:English|English]] speakers (At this point still Middle Irish and [[w:Middle English|Middle English]]), and from roughly 1450AD onward, Scots Norse would be increasingly influenced by Scots Gaelic and, to a lesser extent, Scots.


Having been spoken throughout Suðreyjar, Scots Norse had a dialect within the [[w:Isle of Man|Isle of Man]] (Scots Norse {{lang|snon|{{term|Monaèirr}}}}). Little is known about Manx Norse ({{lang|snon|{{term|Monaèsc}}}}), as it is very poorly recorded, the most extensive description being a short document from around 1500AD that contains a list of about 150 words, with a very poor description of the pronunciations. Though from this description we can gather that Manx Norse still had the [[w:dental fricative|dental fricatives]] that had been lost in other dialects (merging with t/d), we get this from the description "... these [th and dh] are like that of the Saxons' beloved þ."
Having been spoken throughout Suðreyjar, Scots Norse had a dialect within the [[w:Isle of Man|Isle of Man]] (Scots Norse {{lang|snon|{{term|Monaèirr}}}}). Little is known about Manx Norse ({{lang|snon|{{term|Monaèsc}}}}), as it is very poorly recorded, the most extensive description being a short document from around 1500AD that contains a list of about 150 words (see ''[[the Noreine speche fra Man]]''), with a very poor description of the pronunciations. Though from this description we can gather that Manx Norse still had the [[w:dental fricative|dental fricatives]] that had been lost in other dialects (merging with t/d), we get this from the description "... these [th and dh] are like that of the Saxons' beloved þ."


Following the treaty of Perth, the usage of Norse began declining significantly, with evidence it was nearly extinct by 1550. A small revitalization occured in the mid 18th century when several of the last native speakers (at the time, Scots Norse had no more than 150 remaining speakers) gathered together to document the language so it could be taught to children. This effort was mostly effective, leading to the first noticeable rise in speaker count since it began declining. By the 1880's, there would be upwards of 1,500 native speakers, a majority of them young.
Following the treaty of Perth, the usage of Norse began declining significantly, with evidence it was nearly extinct by 1550. A small revitalization occured in the mid 18th century when several of the last native speakers (at the time, Scots Norse had no more than 150 remaining speakers) gathered together to document the language so it could be taught to children. This effort was mostly effective, leading to the first noticeable rise in speaker count since it began declining. By the 1880's, there would be upwards of 1,500 native speakers, a majority of them young.
===Modern===
===Modern===
Modern Scots Norse is typically classed as critically endangered due to how few speakers it has, having no more than 2,500 native speakers as of 2020, and virtually all of them live in the Hebrides, making it extremely limited.
Modern Scots Norse is typically classed as critically endangered due to how few speakers it has, having no more than 2,500 native speakers as of 2020, and virtually all of them live in the Hebrides, making it extremely limited.
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==Morphology==
==Morphology==
===Nouns===
===Nouns===
A major development in nouns is the complete loss of the definite forms, being replaced by the independent "hinn", which precedes the noun, triggering nasal mutation in some forms.
Nouns have been reduced down to a basic singular/plural distinction, with the masc/fem distinction only maintained in the singular and when paired with the article ''{{lang|snon|{{term|hin}}}}''.
 
{{inflection-table-top|palette=blue|title=Noun declensions|tall=yes}}
! class=outer rowspan=2 |
! colspan=2 | masculine
| class=separator rowspan=4 |
! colspan=2 | feminine
|-
! singular
! plural
! singular
! plural
|-
! indefinite
| {{lang|snon|-ᶫ}}
| {{lang|snon|-arr}}
| {{lang|snon|-}}
| {{lang|snon|-arr}}
|-
! definite
| {{lang|snon|hin h-ᶫ}}
| {{lang|snon|hin h-arr}}
| {{lang|snon|hin -}}
| {{lang|snon|hin -arr}}
|-
{{inflection-table-bottom}}
 
''All'' nouns fit into one of these two patterns, regardless the forms in Old Norse. Below are several examples.
{{inflection-table-top|palette=blue|title=Declension of ''{{lang|snon|{{term|ald}}}}'' (masculine)|tall=y}}
! class=outer |
! singular
! plural
|-
! indefinite
| {{lang|snon|aldᶫ}}
| {{lang|snon|aldarr}}
|-
! definite
| {{lang|snon|hin h-aldᶫ}}
| {{lang|snon|hin h-aldarr}}
|-
{{inflection-table-bottom}}
 
{{inflection-table-top|palette=blue|title=Declension of ''{{lang|snon|{{term|hàet}}}}'' (masculine)|tall=y}}
! class=outer |
! singular
! plural
|-
! indefinite
| {{lang|snon|hàetᶫ}}
| {{lang|snon|hàtarr}}
|-
! definite
| {{lang|snon|hin 'àetᶫ}}
| {{lang|snon|hin 'àtarr}}
|-
{{inflection-table-bottom}}


Many of the forms have merged, this leads to a far stricter word order.
{{inflection-table-top|palette=blue|title=Declension of ''{{lang|snon|{{term|hàmar}}}}'' (masculine)|tall=y}}
:The nominative and accusative merged together in the mid 1700's, leading to a necessarily stricter word order. The neuter has also merged with the masculine. The masculine genitive has also fallen together, while it remains distinct in feminine nouns. The singular direct and dative have also merged, with the masculine genitive being identical to these forms as well. (see the table for ''{{lang|snon|ald}}'')
! class=outer |
! singular
! plural
|-
! indefinite
| {{lang|snon|hàmarᶫ}}
| {{lang|snon|hàmararr}}
|-
! definite
| {{lang|snon|hin 'àmarᶫ}}
| {{lang|snon|hin 'àmararr}}
|-
{{inflection-table-bottom}}


The genitive singular has two endings, these are highly consistent, being a null ending in the masculine and -arr in the feminine.
{{inflection-table-top|palette=blue|title=Declension of ''{{lang|snon|{{term|bèdh}}}}'' (masculine)|tall=y}}
! class=outer |
! singular
! plural
|-
! indefinite
| {{lang|snon|bèdhᶫ}}
| {{lang|snon|bèdharr}}
|-
! definite
| {{lang|snon|hin bhèdhᶫ}}
| {{lang|snon|hin bhèdharr}}
|-
{{inflection-table-bottom}}


The genitive has been increasingly falling out of use over the past two centuries, and is now largely superseded by constructions like "at [possessor (in dative)]".
{{inflection-table-top|palette=blue|title=Declension of ''{{lang|snon|{{term|bòegh}}}}'' (masculine)|tall=y}}
! class=outer |
! singular
! plural
|-
! indefinite
| {{lang|snon|bòeghᶫ}}
| {{lang|snon|bògharr}}
|-
! definite
| {{lang|snon|hin bhòeghᶫ}}
| {{lang|snon|hin bhògharr}}
|-
{{inflection-table-bottom}}
 
{{inflection-table-top|palette=blue|title=Declension of ''{{lang|snon|{{term|màel}}}}'' (masculine)|tall=y}}
! class=outer |
! singular
! plural
|-
! indefinite
| {{lang|snon|màelᶫ}}
| {{lang|snon|màlarr}}
|-
! definite
| {{lang|snon|hin mhàelᶫ}}
| {{lang|snon|hin mhàlarr}}
|-
{{inflection-table-bottom}}


Younger (< age 35) speakers only distinguish three forms; the singular, the direct plural, and the dative plural. The singular is split into direct vs dative when paired with an article, but it is otherwise the same for both.
{{inflection-table-top|palette=blue|title=Declension of ''{{lang|snon|{{term|poest}}}}'' (masculine)|tall=y}}
====Strong nouns====
! class=outer |
=====Masculines=====
! singular
These first few are a-stems.
! plural
{{snon-decl-m-a|ald|1l=h-ald|1n=n-ald}}
|-
{{snon-decl-m-a|hàt|hòt|hàet|1l='àt|2l='òt|3l='àet|1n=nhàt|2n=nhòt|3n=nhàet}}
! indefinite
{{snon-decl-m-a|r=y|hàmar|hòmar|1l='àmar|2l='òmar|1n=nhàmar|2n=nhòmar}}
| {{lang|snon|poestᶫ}}
| {{lang|snon|postarr}}
|-
! definite
| {{lang|snon|hin phoestᶫ}}
| {{lang|snon|hin phostarr}}
|-
{{inflection-table-bottom}}


The masculine i-stem has also merged with the a-stem.
{{snon-decl-m-a|bèdh|1l=bhèdh|1n=mèdh}}


As has the u-stem.
{{snon-decl-m-a|bògh|3=bòegh|1l=bhògh|1n=mògh|3l=bhòegh|3n=mòegh}}


The following were originally neuter, but various changes have merged them with the masculine.
{{inflection-table-top|palette=blue|title=Declension of ''{{lang|snon|{{term|arrv}}}}'' (feminine)|tall=y}}
{{snon-decl-m-a|màl|mòl|màel|1l=mhàl|2l=mhòl|3l=mhàel}}
! class=outer |
{{snon-decl-m-a|post|3=poest|1l=phost|3l=phoest|1n=mhost|3n=mhoest}}
! singular
! plural
|-
! indefinite
| {{lang|snon|arrv}}
| {{lang|snon|arrvarr}}
|-
! definite
| {{lang|snon|hin arrv}}
| {{lang|snon|hin arrvarr}}
|-
{{inflection-table-bottom}}


=====Feminines=====
{{inflection-table-top|palette=blue|title=Declension of ''{{lang|snon|{{term|bèt}}}}'' (feminine)|tall=y}}
{{snon-decl-f-ō|arrv|orrv|1l=h-arrv|2l=h-orrv|1n=n-arrv|2n=n-orrv}}
! class=outer |
! singular
! plural
|-
! indefinite
| {{lang|snon|bèt}}
| {{lang|snon|bètarr}}
|-
! definite
| {{lang|snon|hin bèt}}
| {{lang|snon|hin bètarr}}
|-
{{inflection-table-bottom}}


===Adjectives===
===Adjectives===
As with nouns, the definiteness distinction has been lost in adjectives, though it was lost far earlier than in nouns, this is attributed to the increasing reliance on the noun for definiteness. (Which itself too eventually fell to the use of "hi")
Adjectives have essentially lost all declension, at most declining for gender, where the forms are identical, the only difference being that the masculine form triggers lenition. (see ''{{lang|snon|{{term|sèl}}}}'')
 
Both the comparative and superlative forms were lost by the time of Sudrey Norse, being replaced with the usage of {{lang|snon|{{term|mèr}}}} ("more") and {{lang|snon|{{term|mast}}}} ("most"), so rather than, say, Old Norse "beztr" (hypothetical Scots Norse **{{lang|snon|bast}}) for "better", it is instead {{lang|snon|mèr ghòedh}} (lit. "more good").
 
===Numerals===
{|class="wikitable"
!1
|{{lang|snon|{{term|èn}}}}
|-
!2
|{{lang|snon|{{term|tfèrr}}}}
|-
!3
|{{lang|snon|{{term|trìrr}}}}
|-
!4
|{{lang|snon|{{term|fiòrarr}}}}
|-
!5
|{{lang|snon|{{term|fi}}}}
|-
!6
|{{lang|snon|{{term|sac}}}}
|-
!7
|{{lang|snon|{{term|siò}}}}
|-
!8
|{{lang|snon|{{term|àet}}}}
|-
!9
|{{lang|snon|{{term|naì}}}}
|-
!10
|{{lang|snon|{{term|taì}}}}
|-
!11
|{{lang|snon|{{term|aliov}}}}
|-
!12
|{{lang|snon|{{term|tòlv}}}}
|-
|}


The forms of adjectives quickly began falling together, with the nominative/accusative distinction being lost quite early on.
{{lang|snon|èn}} is the only adjective-like word in all of Scots Norse that retains a distinct plural form, ''{{lang|snon|{{term|ènarr}}}}''
{{snon-decl-adj|sèl}}


===Prepositions===
===Prepositions===
Scots Norse has a very, very simple system of inflected prepositions, only inflecting for person and number, but never for case or gender, likely because it can usually be told through context.
Scots Norse has a very, very simple system of inflected prepositions, only inflecting for person and number.


A large amount of speakers simply don't use inflected prepositions, though the majority does.
A large amount of speakers simply don't use inflected prepositions.


{{snon-infl-prep|in|1l=inh|2l=ionh|1v=im}}
{{snon-infl-prep|in|1l=inh|2l=ionh|1v=im}}
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The original mediopassive indicative only remains in a small set of verbs acting as a reciprocal, typically physical actions taken towards others, like {{lang|snon|{{term|}}}} ("to fight"), {{lang|snon|{{term|slà}}}} ("to hit"), {{lang|snon|{{term|}}}} ("to embrace"), as well as a few abstract verbs, such as {{lang|snon|{{term|}}}} ("to love"). Otherwise it's been replaced by {{lang|snon|{{term|hìnu n-onaru}}}}
The original mediopassive indicative only remains in a small set of verbs acting as a reciprocal, typically physical actions taken towards others, like {{lang|snon|{{term|}}}} ("to fight"), {{lang|snon|{{term|slà}}}} ("to hit"), {{lang|snon|{{term|}}}} ("to embrace"), as well as a few abstract verbs, such as {{lang|snon|{{term|}}}} ("to love"). Otherwise it's been replaced by {{lang|snon|{{term|hìnu n-onaru}}}}
====Strong verbs====
Strong verbs have survived rather well into Scots Norse, at times weak verbs have been made strong (though the opposite has also happened).
=====Class 1=====
=====Class 2=====
=====Class 3=====
=====Class 4=====
=====Class 5=====
=====Class 6=====
=====Class 7=====


====Weak verbs====
Verbs have reduced to such a limited number of forms that analogy and sound changes have leveled them all down to essentially one pattern (excluding a few irregular verbs), which seemingly descends from Old Norse's weak class 2 pattern.
=====Class 1=====
 
The original distinction between "heavy" and "light" stems has long been lost in Scots Norse, the distinction between them having either been leveled out or sound changes led to its loss.
{{snon-conj|tàl|tòl|tàel}}


{{snon-conj-weak1|mèl|mèlt|1o=mèol|2o=mèolt}}


=====Class 2=====
{{snon-conj|mèl}}
{{snon-conj-weak2|tàl|tàldh|1e=tàel|2e=tàeldh|1u=tòl|2u=tòldh}}
{{lang|snon|mèl}} was originally a class 1 verb.


=====Class 3=====


====Suppletive verbs====
====Suppletive verbs====
There is only one known suppletive verb in Scots Norse, that being the copula ''{{lang|snon|vèr}}'', and even it has been leveled by many speakers.
{{snon-conj-vèr}}
"arr" and "varr" are the more prevalent forms, but the regularized forms "vèrarr" and "vèradharr" are also rather common.


==Syntax==
==Syntax==
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Allir menn eru bornir frjálsir ok jafnir at virðingu ok réttum. Þeir eru allir viti gœddir ok samvizku, ok skulu gøra hvárr til annars bróðurliga.
Allir menn eru bornir frjálsir ok jafnir at virðingu ok réttum. Þeir eru allir viti gœddir ok samvizku, ok skulu gøra hvárr til annars bróðurliga.
====Scots Norse====
====Scots Norse====
{{lang|snon|alarr ma n-èor bhorrnarr friàlsarr o hiavnarr, hàevn vhirrdhing h-o rhèot h-atharr. tèrr èor h-alarr vìt gaèdarr o shanviosc, o shcùl gaèr vhàrr til anarr bhròdhorrligh.}}
{{lang|snon|arr manarr al bhori mhriàl h-o hiavn, vèrann vhirrdhing o rhèt h-atharr. vèrann gaèdhadh h-o shanvisc h-atharr, o shcùl ghèor hanna thil bròdhligh.}} </br>
:alarr ma n-èor bhorrnarr friàlsarr o hiavnarr, hàevn vhirrdhing h-o rhèot h-atharr. tèrr èor h-alarr vìt gaèdarr o shanviosc, o shcùl gaèr vhàrr til anarr bhròdhorrligh.
arr manarr al bhori mhriàl h-o hiavn, vèrann vhirrdhing o rhèt h-atharr. vèrann gaèdhadh h-o shanvisc h-atharr, o shcùl ghèor hanna thil bròdhligh.


=====English translation=====
=====English translation=====
:lit: "all men are born free and equal, being dignity and rights at them. they are all endowed to reason and to conscience, and should act each to others to brotherly(ness)"
:lit: "all men are born free and equal, being dignity and rights at them. being reason and conscience at them, and should act to brotherhood at each other"
:"all men are born free and equal, having dignity and rights. they are all endowed with reason and conscience, and should act to eachother as a brotherhood"
:"all men are born free and equal, having dignity and rights. they have reason and conscience, and should act to eachother as a brotherhood"


===Deor===
===Deor===