This is the first translation into the Border Scots dialect of "Alice's
Adventures in Wonderland". Scots was at its peak as a European language
of scholars in the 16th century, but its scope and influence has
declined since English became Scotland's formal written language in the
17th century. Border Scots has subsequently become primarily an oral
dialect, spoken by more than 100,000 people at home, work and play, but
not regularly committed to paper for use in a formal context.
Recognizing the oral nature of the dialect was an important step in
deciding how this first translation of Alice was to be carried out.
Border Scots differs from other Scots dialects in terms of its
anglicized and unusual flat vowel pronunciations, earning it the moniker
of the "yow an mei" dialect. There was an opportunity to echo this sound
in the very name of "Ahlice", where the drawn out and flattened first
syllable acts as an aural clue to the deep timbre this dialect emits in
its spoken form. To further achieve this aural effect the common Scots
custom of dropping consonants at the end of words and syllables has also
been deployed. In particular, applying it to the progressive participle
ending -ing to make it -in flattens the sound to a more authentic
Borders' pitch. Elliot Cowan Smith observed nearly a century ago that
the Borders dialect will "pass gradually into oblivion" if its spirit is
allowed to be lost. It is hoped that the publication of "Ahlice's
Adveenturs in Wunderlaant" will kindle the spirit and confidence to
record the dialect in print more widely, and establish a future role for
it in the development of Borders life.
