Doric dialect

Doric is the name given to the dialect of Scots spoken in the northeast of Scotland. For an example of Doric literature, see the poetry of Charles Murray. For example, Murray's short poem, Gin I was God

Doric

Translation

GIN I was God, sittin' up there abeen, Weariet nae doot noo a' my darg was deen, Deaved wi' the harps an' hymns oonendin' ringin', Tired o' the flockin' angels hairse wi' singin', To some clood-edge I'd daunder furth an', feth, Look ower an' watch hoo things were gyaun aneth. Syne, gin I saw hoo men I'd made mysel' Had startit in to pooshan, sheet an' fell, To reive an' rape, an' fairly mak' a hell O' my braw birlin' Earth,--a hale week's wark-- I'd cast my coat again, rowe up my sark, An' or they'd time to lench a second ark, Tak' back my word an' sen' anither spate, Droon oot the hale hypothec, dicht the sklate, Own my mistak', an, aince I cleared the brod, Start a'thing ower again, gin I was God.

IF I were God, sitting up there above, Wearied no doubt, now all my work was done, Deafened by the harps and hymns unending ringing, Tired of the flocking angels hoarse with singing, To some cloud edge I'd saunter forth and, faith, Look over and watch how things were going beneath. Then if I saw how men, I'd made myself Had started out to poison, shoot and fell, To steal and rape and fairly make a hell Of my fine spinning Earth -- a whole week's work -- I'd drop my coat again, roll up my shirt, And, ere they'd time to launch a second ark, Take back my word and send another flood, Drown out the whole shebang, wipe the slate, Admit my mistake, and once I'd cleared the board, Start everything over again, if I were God.

The main phonetic differences between Doric and other Scots dialects are the replacement of 'wh' sounds by 'f' sounds -- fit meaning what instead of whit, fa meaning who instead of wha --; the replacement of 'aw' sounds by 'aa' sounds -- a' meaning all instead of aw --; and the replacement of 'oo' sounds by 'ee' sounds -- abeen meaning above instead of aboon.