Foo is du?

The day A'm gaun tae blether a bittie aboot grammar. The feck o fowk thinks that grammar is something that ye dae richt or ye dae wrang. Bit it isna juist like thon. Modren Inglis haes its ain rules, and mony o thae rules is skared wi Scots, bit no aa. The'r fowk that threip that Scots is no a richt leid, or no a leid ava acause it disna luek an soond juist lik Inglis.

Bit it's no that Inglis haes it richt an Scots haes it wrang. Grammar is no a mathematical thing - hit's bi convention. Sae Inglis grammar haes gaun throu muckle changes ower the years, an it's no mair nor less richt nor it ivver wis. Inglis uissed tae uise the dooble negative, for ensample.

An we can luek at modren Scots for ensamples, forbye. In Shetlan, we see maks like, "Foo is du?" A wurd for wurd translate intil Inglis woud be, "How is you?" In Inglis, we say "How are you?" We think are gaes wi you, bit is can gae wi you gin thon's the convention.

The pynt is no ainly at Scots is no inferior til Inglis acause thai differ in grammar, bit forbye that Inglis disnae hae tae follae the strict model for tae be 'legitimate'. It's aboot convention, an it's a pity tae see fowk doonpittan spikkin langage acause it disnae fit intae the narra confines o the wrutten standart. The'r mony constructions bidin in modren speach that ye'll no see wrutten, an that's lang attested, aa the wey back til Auld Inglis, that gets doonpittan for no conformin til the wrutten tongue. Wis writin no first duin wi the ettle o capturin the tongue, that trulins bides in the moo? An noo fowk tells ither at thai maunna spik thon wey, acause hit's no tae be fund in a buik, nivver kennin that thon kenspeckles bides aye in buiks, juist railly auld buiks...