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Scots as a Cultural Marker of Belonging on Forums ×
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EPISTÉMÈ Vol.16 pp.47-71
Scots as a Cultural Marker of Belonging on Forums
Key Words : code switching,enregisterment,minority language,online community,Scots
Abstract
In this paper, I examine the role of Scots as an important marker of identity, on an internet forum focused on all things Scottish. The sense of belonging may be complex for people living in heterotopia: Scotsmen abroad, or Canadians with a Scottish heritage… Scots becomes a homelanguage, and its use is a proof of belonging to Scotland. Teaching and translating into and from Scots is highly praised, and help create cooperation between the members, especially between learners, who are eager, and fluent speakers who try and spread the knowledge of the language. These fluent speakers also stress on the importance of the localization of words, that is their enregisterment, and indexical value. Giving a word's origin is justifying one's legitimacy and proficiency. They switch back and forth between Scots and English, with different scopes: Scots is an affective language, whereas English mainly conveys reasoning and prescription. Scots, a minority language offline, becomes a communaulectal discourse bringing members together culturally.