May sees the launch of a new regular feature: Scots Word of the Month.

Based on recent Scots Language workshops delivered by Matthew Fitt for our annual Creative Writing Day, Brechin’s A Write, the library is now actively promoting oor mither tongue.

It has been this librarian’s experience that encouraging our young people to read, write and speak in Scots – and local dialects –  can be hugely empowering for them: Improving pupils’ confidence with language and communication, inspiring creativity and self expression, allowing pupils to access their own literary heritage (Rabbie Burns, etc.) and even improving levels of literacy, i.e., as when highlighting the difference between English, Scots and slang. The compatibility of Scots and English is likewise a very positive thing; encouraging our young people to see themselves as bilingual. Check out the excellent Knowledge of Language modules at LTS.

Onywey, the Scots Word o the Month fir May is, Clamjamfry –

[klam’dʒamfrɪ, -fre, -‘dʒafre, klan-, klʌm’dʒamprɪ]
n. A crowd, odds and ends. Hurly-burly, commotion.

It’s awfie guid – Drap it intae cantation whaniver ye can; a this month mind! 🙂