The area where I live in Montrose was named 'Stromnay' by our Viking forefathers. Tide race isand, I believe it means, which suits it perfectly. That's where Bamse 1 now sits, looking wistfully northwest towards Bamse 2. In Norway we began to appreciate our Viking heritage even more. We were struck by the number of Norwegian words that we recognised on road signs and information posters or picked up on announcements on the ship. Many of which we’d been told by our teachers, when we were bairns (‘barns’ in Norwegian) were ‘slang’ – and to be avoided at all costs.
I knew already the word ‘braw’ was common to Scots and Norwegian – picked that one up from Scandinavian television thrillers. We realised people were saying ‘Hi Hi' as a greeting to one another and remembered the greeting used by many older folk in Montrose: ‘Ay Ay'. That's what my dad used to say, ‘Ay, ay’ – almost the same as the Norwegian sound. I never really understood the greeting before, as I thought of ‘ay’ as ‘aye’ (yes) rather than as ‘Hi’. Now I do.
We saw the word ‘hus’ – an exact equivalent of the Scots word ‘hoose’. We recognised it on the sign ‘Syk Hus’. What Scots speaker wouldn’t recognise that as a hospital? Other similarities included ‘kirk’, ‘Ut’ and ‘ut Gang’, ‘aff’ and ‘aff gang’...Since I came home I’ve found others suggested: Flittin, greetin, wid, stane (stein), quine (kwine).
Nowhere did I find the word ‘perjink’. Though it sounds vaguely Scandinavian to me, I somehow cannot imagine our Viking forefathers were at all ‘prim’ or ‘straight laced’.
‘Perjink’, a word much loved by the poet Robert Crawford – I believe – has found its way into his new poem ‘The Scottish Constitution’ which outlines Robert’s vision of what a new Constitution for our country should encompass. We’ll be delighted to reveal the poem at our Art Exhibition in Cupar Corn Exchange on 21st June.
The poem features as an important component of our interactive installation ‘A New Chapter’. Copies of the poem will be available as cards or posters.
In the meantime, be assured you are the first members of the public to know that the word ‘perjink’ is in it.
Aimee
I knew already the word ‘braw’ was common to Scots and Norwegian – picked that one up from Scandinavian television thrillers. We realised people were saying ‘Hi Hi' as a greeting to one another and remembered the greeting used by many older folk in Montrose: ‘Ay Ay'. That's what my dad used to say, ‘Ay, ay’ – almost the same as the Norwegian sound. I never really understood the greeting before, as I thought of ‘ay’ as ‘aye’ (yes) rather than as ‘Hi’. Now I do.
We saw the word ‘hus’ – an exact equivalent of the Scots word ‘hoose’. We recognised it on the sign ‘Syk Hus’. What Scots speaker wouldn’t recognise that as a hospital? Other similarities included ‘kirk’, ‘Ut’ and ‘ut Gang’, ‘aff’ and ‘aff gang’...Since I came home I’ve found others suggested: Flittin, greetin, wid, stane (stein), quine (kwine).
Nowhere did I find the word ‘perjink’. Though it sounds vaguely Scandinavian to me, I somehow cannot imagine our Viking forefathers were at all ‘prim’ or ‘straight laced’.
‘Perjink’, a word much loved by the poet Robert Crawford – I believe – has found its way into his new poem ‘The Scottish Constitution’ which outlines Robert’s vision of what a new Constitution for our country should encompass. We’ll be delighted to reveal the poem at our Art Exhibition in Cupar Corn Exchange on 21st June.
The poem features as an important component of our interactive installation ‘A New Chapter’. Copies of the poem will be available as cards or posters.
In the meantime, be assured you are the first members of the public to know that the word ‘perjink’ is in it.
Aimee