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Picture added on 16 June 2008
This is not Aberdeenshire, title should be O W L D Mart.
Added by Owld fermer on 17 June 2008
If the owld fermer consults The Orkney Dictionary (Flaws/Lamb) he or she will see that either would seem to be acceptable. I wish noo I hid jist said The OLD Mart. [Be thankful you didn't say the Auld Mart next the Peedie Sea...- Steven]
Added by Sandy on 17 June 2008
You could ask twenty Orcadians of different ages, from different parishes/islands to write words in dialect how they think they should be spelt and you would get various spellings of many words. In their eyes they would all be right. I don't think anyone has the authority to decide who is right and wrong when it comes to written Orcadian dialect.
Added by Craig Taylor on 17 June 2008
I agree Craig. But there must be some leeway when writing down our dialect. Owld Fermer's nit picking criticism does nothing to encourage its use.
Added by Sandy on 18 June 2008
The whole question of spelling when it comes to Orkney dialect is a bit of a non sequitur. Sandy could have written "The Old Mart" and then it would have been up to people with Orcadian accents to read it anyway they wanted. Dialects are regional variations of a common language. Like it or not, we're all actually speaking English but adapted by our dialect. Craig is right - the spelling is up to whoever is writing it down. Being proud of your dialect is far more important than a sterile debate about how to spell individual words. Rant over.
Added by Whassigo on 19 June 2008
Should hid no be the owld MAIRT?
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Anonymous comment added on 03 March 2015
Kirkwall
