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Archiver > GENANZ > 2001-04 > 0986149318


From: Lloyd Mitchell <>
Subject: Re: Scotch-Irish/Ulster Scots
Date: Sun, 01 Apr 2001 19:21:58 +0100
References: <200103292152.f2TLqtB12144@newmail.rootsweb.com><b2i8ctk597ormf82aut53huqobsn60t2jm@4ax.com><3AC51766.DE1BAE26@ozemail.com.au>
In-Reply-To: <005b01c0ba2c$421e8e40$b17d13cb@jenmac>


Hi All,

>>The correct word is Scottish not Scotch.

I hoped we're not going to get too silly about all this. The Scots and
Scottish usage as the 'correct' form is quite recent in English
English. From the late sixteenth century onwards, Scotch for both the
people and as an adjective was the common form south of the border, and a
lot of the compounds like scotch terrier, scotch whisky and so on date from
this period. By the mid twentieth century, the English were noticing that
those residents north of the border preferred Scots/Scottish, and the
*1982* Supplement to the (big) Oxford English Dictionary *recommended* the
alternative usage. From round about then the change happened very
quickly, so that people can now be snooty to each other regarding 'proper'
usage. I have one of the smaller Oxford Dictionaries from the 1950s which
gives only the 'Scotch' form, and another from 1966 which gives both, as
alternatives.

Americans still say Scotch-Irish (but they generally talk an older version
of English, of course) for those people whom most of the rest of us now
call Scots-Irish or Ulster-Scots.

I'd suggest we call our ancestors Scots-Irish and see how we go ...

For my part: My MITCHELL family arrived in Geelong in 1854, and moved
around a bit (inc Pyramid Hill/Cohuna) but mainly lived in the
Korumburra/Kardella area from at least 1890ish onwards (to this day). My
immediate family lived in Melbourne from the 1930s. The family came from
Dreghorn in Scotland, but most members of the extended family appear to
have come from 'Ireland' in about the 1830s.

I think this sub-list is a great idea.

Best!

Lloyd


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