Jump to content

Take the dialect quiz


Ulysses

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 104
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • Ulysses

    10

  • redjambo

    7

  • Norm

    6

  • ri Alban

    6

Top Posters In This Topic

Posted Images

8 minutes ago, Tazio said:

Got me as firmly east coast of Scotland. 

Same here which is funny as I spent 5 years in Aberdeen when I was a bairn so my accent isn't quite full edinburgh 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Strangely enough, after the full 96 questions, it put me down as being from the Edinburgh, Fort William or Ayr areas. Although I've travelled around a bit, the only one of these I've lived in for any time was Edinburgh, and that was only for a few years. Most of the rest of the static part of my life has been spent in the North East of Scotland. My parents aren't from any of these areas as well, and I learned a lot of my language from them. I think the quiz needs a wee bit more refinement (i.e. as a result of far more people using it) to become of any use.

 

The other thing is that there is definitely an age difference as well, but the quiz doesn't take that into account. I wouldn't be seen calling anything or anyone "awesome", for example, but my nephews might. There were quite a few words like that where I thought "I wouldn't use it, but young folk here would".

Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 minutes ago, redjambo said:

Strangely enough, after the full 96 questions, it put me down as being from the Edinburgh, Fort William or Ayr areas. Although I've travelled around a bit, the only one of these I've lived in for any time was Edinburgh, and that was only for a few years. Most of the rest of the static part of my life has been spent in the North East of Scotland. My parents aren't from any of these areas as well, and I learned a lot of my language from them. I think the quiz needs a wee bit more refinement (i.e. as a result of far more people using it) to become of any use.

 

The other thing is that there is definitely an age difference as well, but the quiz doesn't take that into account. I wouldn't be seen calling anything or anyone "awesome", for example, but my nephews might. There were quite a few words like that where I thought "I wouldn't use it, but young folk here would".

 

Can you be sure that the quiz doesn't take into account that you might not use a word but other people would?  There are words I would use that younger people wouldn't, and there are even words that fellas would use but women wouldn't.  But that shouldn't really matter in the overall scheme of things as long as there are a big enough number of responses.

 

I thought that it needed refinement when I looked at my results first, but it is quite accurate given what it is.  My accent is more or less Dublin, but that's not where I was raised, and we have common ways of using words across the region even though accents vary.  All of that would explain the broader regional "heat map" in my case.  My wife's results were similar to mine but more concentrated on Dublin, which didn't surprise me.  Meanwhile my son's results were similar to mine but with elements linking to other parts of the country, which is a result I would have expected for a young person because younger Irish people have more homogeneous expressions and catchphrases than my generation.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, Ulysses said:

 

Can you be sure that the quiz doesn't take into account that you might not use a word but other people would?  There are words I would use that younger people wouldn't, and there are even words that fellas would use but women wouldn't.  But that shouldn't really matter in the overall scheme of things as long as there are a big enough number of responses.

 

I thought that it needed refinement when I looked at my results first, but it is quite accurate given what it is.  My accent is more or less Dublin, but that's not where I was raised, and we have common ways of using words across the region even though accents vary.  All of that would explain the broader regional "heat map" in my case.  My wife's results were similar to mine but more concentrated on Dublin, which didn't surprise me.  Meanwhile my son's results were similar to mine but with elements linking to other parts of the country, which is a result I would have expected for a young person because younger Irish people have more homogeneous expressions and catchphrases than my generation.  

 

Ah, now I have no idea how they have process their data, but language use isn't just dialect-based but is also based on other factors such as age, sex and social background (I know, that's a difficult aspect to deal with but I, for example, say "football" rather than "fitba", but many folk up here use the latter*). So, in a perfect world, I personally would see the makers of the test asking folk for some of the principal attributes like these (there wouldn't be too many). That would, in my eyes, allow for a more refined and potentially more accurate analysis. There wouldn't be any harm in asking for the information, but useless if left too late.

 

In the old days, such a test would have been much more accurate because dialects were far more distinct. However, many dialectical words are falling quickly out of use due to the homogeneity that you mention. I used to use expressions (sorry for any misspellings but they were spoken, never written) like "peely-wally", "clarty", "cuddy louping" etc.), but no longer. Algorithms will have to get smarter to work out dialect. It was interesting to note from the maps that flew past that the ones which would uniquely mark out Scotland (and often Northern Ireland) were often to do with whether or not words rhymed with other words. That might end up being of more use to distinguish dialects than the actual language use.

 

* Hopefully this doesn't sound snobby. Both are fine words for referring to our glorious sport.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, redjambo said:

 

* Hopefully this doesn't sound snobby. Both are fine words for referring to our glorious sport.

 

 

We say "soccer", and the further south and west you go the more likely we are to use that word.

 

In reading through the full 96 questions, I thought the quiz was quite nuanced and already capable of picking up generational shifts.  But like yourself I don't know how they process their data.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Ulysses said:

We say "soccer", and the further south and west you go the more likely we are to use that word.

 

In reading through the full 96 questions, I thought the quiz was quite nuanced and already capable of picking up generational shifts.  But like yourself I don't know how they process their data.

 

I didn't know that. I assumed it was only people outwith the Atlantic Isles who used that term. There you go.

 

"Outwith". Now maybe they should add that to their quiz. ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Ulysses said:

 

Can you be sure that the quiz doesn't take into account that you might not use a word but other people would?  There are words I would use that younger people wouldn't, and there are even words that fellas would use but women wouldn't.  But that shouldn't really matter in the overall scheme of things as long as there are a big enough number of responses.

 

I thought that it needed refinement when I looked at my results first, but it is quite accurate given what it is.  My accent is more or less Dublin, but that's not where I was raised, and we have common ways of using words across the region even though accents vary.  All of that would explain the broader regional "heat map" in my case.  My wife's results were similar to mine but more concentrated on Dublin, which didn't surprise me.  Meanwhile my son's results were similar to mine but with elements linking to other parts of the country, which is a result I would have expected for a young person because younger Irish people have more homogeneous expressions and catchphrases than my generation.  

 

Do the young people around your way still wear ‘runners’?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Seymour M Hersh

Well I'm definitely Scottish. :laugh:

 

Had me coming from as far west as Fort Bill to Aberdeen, to the borders, Stirlingshire & Perthshire and of course Edinburgh & the Lothians. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Bang on. Maw, Weans, Fitbaw, Tig, Ginger and Dog it, the give aways.

 

And it's Aitch.

Edited by ri Alban
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Had me firmly Shetland, Orkney, far NE corner of Scotland...and Dundee ?

 

The first three I can understand but Dundee...? Longest I've spent there is a few hours either side of a visit to Dens! ?

 

Will give it another go with the full 96 questions.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That was fun. As Ulysses noted, it only "works" on people from the UK and Ireland, but It puts me in the Borders mostly, and Edinburgh as well. This will be based on the vocabulary I've gleaned here. But because of my accent it also puts me in parts of England and Wales too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Got me Cornwall. Very impressed, I was born and raised in Cornwall but have been in Scotland for most of my life. Bit spooky really, didn't realise I had so many giveaways. I need a pasty!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, Ulysses said:

P.S. sorry for cropping Shetland and lumps of Orkney out of the map.  :runaway:

 

No problem - we're used to it ?

 

Full 96 questions gave me less Dundee and more East and Mid-lothian and some Fife in addition to the expected NE Scotland, Orkney and Shetland.

Absolutely nothing west of Scotland, England or anywhere in Ireland.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, ri Alban said:

Bang on. Maw, Weans, Fitbaw, Tig, Ginger and Dog it, the give aways.

 

And it's Aitch.

Never had you down as a weegie. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Was correct for me. Said from edinburgh but the map also highlighted the borders as a strong influence on my dialect. (From Edinburgh, raised in Gala from age 8 to 17, moved back to Edinburgh at 21). 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

After the first lot of questions it had me at Dundee but after the second lot it decided I was Edinburgh. I thought my 17 years living in England might have affected my result but doesn’t look like it. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Strongly nailed down as an east coaster. Although a couple of my choices flagged me up as being from the south of England. :wtf:

 

Now I feel wrong for saying Wood Lice and Plimsolls.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hmmm.

Had “FWJ” as being from anywhere but Ft William: Aberdeenshire/Perthshire/Fife & Lothians (but notably not Angus). Don’t know if putting “jinking” for unofficially missing school threw them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

25 minutes ago, Locky said:

Strongly nailed down as an east coaster. Although a couple of my choices flagged me up as being from the south of England. :wtf:

 

Now I feel wrong for saying Wood Lice and Plimsolls.

Do you mean slaters and gym shoes?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

All roads lead to Gorgie

Mainly east of Scotland Lothians going up to Perth. A bit stretching to Ayrshire which could be because one of my parents were west coast born and maybe I use some words I picked up young.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 minutes ago, FWJ said:

Do you mean slaters and gym shoes?

I mean, I'm totally aware that among some that is more common, but nah.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It got me sort of right, with Galloway and up the west coast. My close to 40 years around Edinburgh haven't had much effect, which is grand.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

All roads lead to Gorgie

I think if I did it again I would just give a single answer to each ? rather than words I know which are Scottish but maybe not specifically Edinburgh. That's probably why I got a bit of Ayrshire and others are getting places they have never lived in. I now use Ned for instance and that probably started west coast.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Has me down as mainly Edinburgh but also pretty much the entire east coast, spreading from the Lothians all the way up through Fife, Tayside and in to Aberdeen. Even a bit into Kirkwall. Basically, if you draw a line down the middle of Scotland, I'm everywhere on the right. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Shanks said no

My daughter came up Aberdeen despite being raised and living in Edinburgh/West Lothian

 

but she went to Uni in Aberdeen 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It shows words and terms travel.  I’m born and bred Edinburgh but the map brought up my results as sweeping across the borders and up the East Coast all the way to Kirkwall, ??

 

Edinburgh and Aberdeen in bold as the main cities. 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

30 minutes ago, All roads lead to Gorgie said:

I think if I did it again I would just give a single answer to each ? rather than words I know which are Scottish but maybe not specifically Edinburgh. That's probably why I got a bit of Ayrshire and others are getting places they have never lived in. I now use Ned for instance and that probably started west coast.

I tried to answer as honestly as possible too.  I know ‘wean’ and ‘bairn’ is a West/East thing but I’d never use either.  Similarly ‘ned’.  I hid my Guardian in my hand-knitted hessian manbag and said ‘scumbag’ but also added ‘jakey’ (surprised it wasn’t there TBH)

 

Best way to tell if someone is from Edinburgh is ask them to pronounce ‘Sciennes’!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 minutes ago, FWJ said:

I tried to answer as honestly as possible too.  I know ‘wean’ and ‘bairn’ is a West/East thing but I’d never use either.  Similarly ‘ned’.  I hid my Guardian in my hand-knitted hessian manbag and said ‘scumbag’ but also added ‘jakey’ (surprised it wasn’t there TBH)

 

Best way to tell if someone is from Edinburgh is ask them to pronounce ‘Sciennes’!

I'd pronounce that 'skeens'.  Do I pass?

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.




×
×
  • Create New...