The Destruction of Minorities

Episode fuir ay th' story ay sassenach shows hoo sassenach destroyed th' natife leid ay scootlund, a type ay gaelic. th' shaw explores hoo scottish influenced sassenach an' its expansion throoghit th' warld, an' Ah foond interestin' hoo leid worked as a way tae gie intae people's minds. th' dissolution ay scottish culture began when Jimmy vi ay scootlund becam Jimmy Ah ay englain, but fur most minorities, sassenach breaks apart their leid slowly an' progressively. at first, th' scottish aristocracy went abroad tae englain an' ben generations adapted tae th' leid an' acted as spreaders ay it, makin' current scottish aristocrats ken their ancestral leid as a hobby wi' "marks ay rusticity" (macneil, mccrum, cran 3:54). while changin' languages didne change their traditions reit awa', th' infiltration ay anither culture in their leid slowly changed their identities towards an english-controlled a body. when one's most maternal things ur altered tae a foreign perspectife, th' way a body feels abit oneself turns intae a subordinate ur rebellioos a body. mony scots, fur example, tried tae keep their religion in their leid sae 'at their beliefs wooldnae be altered by an sassenach perspectife (macneil, mccrum, cran 6:46). as their culture was affected by th' sassenach a body, some scots turned tae resistance against their authority while others hae begin tae see their culture as an inferiur a body. in th' case ay irelain, fowk hae responded aggressively tae th' attempts ay britain gettin' at their culture (macneil, mccrum, cran 0:25) whit thes episode shows happenin' in scootlund is a trend 'at happens when minorities encoonter a bigger power whose leid can gie intae their society an' control it. i dornt ken much abit th' amish, which th' episode mentions in a body point, but a similar scenario happens wi' these minority. th' shaw mentions 'at th' first amish fa arrived tae america started adoptin' th' scottish accent, althoogh mony ay them waur germans, makin' them hae a distinctife way ay 'spikin nowadays (macneil, mccrum, cran 1:27). amish fowk bide aroond th' idea ay conservin' th' way ay livin' ay th' pest, makin' onie interaction frae lae ay th' warld a threat tae their communities. their way ay 'spikin works as a conveyur ay their identity, precioos fur them. th' threat leid minorities coopon when encoonterin' th' powerful standard sassenach is loch th' hazards 'at holocomb, as shoon in in braw bluid by truman capote, faced wi' th' globalization ay th' warld. ance th' "ootside" warld invades a wee toon, th' population's identity an' society crumbles an' becomes a subordinate ay th' power behin' th' intrusion. sae far thaur huvnae bin real threats tae amish communities, they continue tae bide undisturbed, but as technology makes th' warld mair accessible, their way ay livin' is endangered. it's nae only abit th' leid which coods imposed oan them but th' soorce ay power behin' th' new variation 'at coods infiltrate their antiquated dialect. when a toon 'at seeks autonomy an' self-dependance loses control ower its identity, their society can collapse quickly.

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Now in an understandable version:

Episode 4 of The Story of English shows how English destroyed the native language of Scotland, a type of Gaelic. The show explores how Scottish influenced English and its expansion throughout the world, and I found interesting how language worked as a way to get into people's minds. The dissolution of Scottish culture began when James VI of Scotland became James I of England, but for most minorities, English breaks apart their language slowly and progressively. At first, the Scottish aristocracy went abroad to England and through generations adapted to the language and acted as spreaders of it, making current Scottish aristocrats know their ancestral language as a hobby with "marks of rusticity" (MacNeil, McCrum, Cran 3:54). While changing languages didn't change their traditions right away, the infiltration of another culture in their language slowly changed their identities towards an English-controlled one. When one's most maternal things are altered to a foreign perspective, the way one feels about oneself turns into a subordinate or rebellious one. Many Scots, for example, tried to keep their religion in their language so that their beliefs wouldn't be altered by an English perspective (MacNeil, McCrum, Cran 6:46). As their culture was affected by the English one, some Scots turned to resistance against their authority while others have begun to see their culture as an inferior one. In the case of Ireland, people have responded aggressively to the attempts of Britain getting at their culture (MacNeil, McCrum, Cran 0:25) What this episode shows happening in Scotland is a trend that happens when minorities encounter a bigger power whose language can get into their society and control it.

I don't know much about the Amish, which the episode mentions in one point, but a similar scenario happens with these minority. The show mentions that the first Amish who arrived to America started adopting the Scottish accent, although many of them were Germans, making them have a distinctive way of speaking nowadays (MacNeil, McCrum, Cran 1:27).  Amish people live around the idea of conserving the way of living of the past, making any interaction from the rest of the world a threat to their communities. Their way of speaking works as a conveyor of their identity, precious for them. The threat language minorities face when encountering the powerful Standard English is like the hazards that Holocomb, as shown in In Cold Blood by Truman Capote, faced with the globalization of the world. Once the "outside" world invades a small town, the population's identity and society crumbles and becomes a subordinate of the power behind the intrusion. So far there haven't been real threats to Amish communities, they continue to live undisturbed, but as technology makes the world more accessible, their way of living is endangered. It's not only about the language which could imposed on them but the source of power behind the new variation that could infiltrate their antiquated dialect. When a town that seeks autonomy and self-dependance loses control over its identity, their society can collapse quickly.

"Amish Guy," Family Guy 
Click here for a politically incorrect parody of the Amish culture.

Source:

"The Guid Scots Tongue." The Story of English. Wrti. Robert MacNeil, Robert McCrum and William Cran. MacNeil-Lehrer Productions and BBC, 1986. Youtube.