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Scottish Glossary Index - for slow computers

10 Sep 01 - 09:28 AM (#546174)
Subject: Scottish Glossary Index
From: GUEST,John in Brisbane

What idiot put so much crap into the original Scottish Glossary that it's barely openable? Someone cleverer than me can do a blue clicky to reference it.

In response to Abby's question:

My best guess is ban'(sters), as in clergymen - particularly given the later reference to preaching. Just a guess though!

... a bit later tonight ...

My copy of this in 1001 Gems of Song (circa 18890) attributes the writing to Jane Eliot, wriiten about 1750 from a few lines of the original. She uses 'banster', perhaps meaning that the younger members of the 'band' have died leaving only the older men to play. 1001 Gems gives no meaning for 'banster; whereas it has an extensive glossary for other terms.

Real scholars of the language will have better knowledge and better resources than I, having started this project merely to throw some light on this mysterious and wonderful language of beautiful songs.

Regards, John

Here's a directory that will load the glossary one section at a time. That should make it easier.
-Joe Offer-
Glossary Index

10 Sep 01 - 10:06 AM (#546206)
Subject: RE: Scottish Glossary
From: GUEST,Scabby Doug

I haven't seen the original query.

I have the same problem opening the original Scottish Glossary thread.

If the word is "Bandster" it crops up in the song Johnnie Sangster. I think (if memory serves) that the bandster was the member of the shearing team who would bind up the sheaves of corn that had been sheared. The song refers to him buckling on his finger steels.

I'm not sure what the original enquiry was about, so I may be off on another tack entirely...

Cheers

Steven

10 Sep 01 - 03:38 PM (#546509)
Subject: RE: Scottish Glossary
From: weepiper

I can't get it open at all which is frustrating cos it sounds interesting

10 Sep 01 - 09:54 PM (#546727)
Subject: RE: Scottish Glossary
From: GUEST,John in Brisbane

Extracted from the previous thread.

Subject: Help re: 'banƒters'
From: Abby Sale
Date: 09-Sep-01 - 03:11 PM

What with today being the anniversary of the battle at Flodden-Field, September 9, 1513, I thought I'd sing "floo'ers of the forest." So I'm looking at the 4th of the "usually sung six verses," ie. # 20 in Herd (1769). (Actually this verse is rarely sung, too.) The data base Floo'ers gives that Hickerson implies it on Drive Dull II but he doesn't, actually. Anyway the DT misprints one word & naturally, that's the single word in the song I can't gloss. The verse is:

In herƒt at the ƒhearing nae younkers are jeering:
The banƒters are lyart, runkled, and gray.
At fairs nor at preaching, nae wooing, nae fleeching,
Since our braw foreƒters are a' wed away

It's 'bansters' in the second line I hope someone can help with. I don't find this or anything similar in any of my glosseries or dictionaries, including Herd's own. I did find in Herd "bangster" and I've a feeling he's misprinted the word in the song - I haven't accidented across 'bangster' in any other Herd songs. "Bangstrie," as all will know, is one of the charges leveled against MacPherson just before he Lamented ans hanged. FYI, since I have them right here, other words in that verse would be:

herƒt = harvest
younkers = young men
banƒters = ? perh. banterers or bangsters (in essence, 'ruffians')
lyart = hoary/grey-haired
runkled = wrinkled
fleeching = coxing/flattering
wed away = cut down / lost (arguable)

Thanks for the advice.

10 Sep 01 - 10:20 PM (#546738)
Subject: RE: Scottish Glossary
From: GUEST,John in Brisbane

I've just checked and I still still have a copy of the Glossary in HTML format, (I may still have a copy somewhere as CSV or XLS). It's about 500kb - send me a note via johninbrisbane@lycos.com if you'd like your own copy. Please note that I am a very infrequent visitor to Mudcat these days.

Regards, John

PS I performed some fudgery when converting to HTML columns in order to accomodate multi line definitions. Converting back to another format may require some care to keep the database in proper alignment.

11 Sep 01 - 12:17 AM (#546781)
Subject: RE: Scottish Glossary
From: Joe Offer

Hi, John - the Scottish Glossary (click) is the original HTML you sent me, so I guess you could say that you're the responsible party. I'm looking for a text copy to post in another thread that will be easier to open, and I asked Pene Azul if he can come up with something that would display the same data in a format that loads quicker. What's there now is a table, and apparently Netscape loads tables slowly. MSIE has an easier time with it.
-Joe Offer (e-mail sent)-

11 Sep 01 - 04:39 AM (#546843)
Subject: RE: Scottish Glossary
From: Scabby Douglas

In the context of the query was posted the information about the herst/hairst harvest and the use of the word banster - would fit with bandster being a role at harvest.

From what I have read, the bandster would need to be fit, was generally young and very much cock-of-the-walk. If all the bandsters remaining were elderly, that would indicate how the flower of youth had been reduced...

Cheers

Steven

12 Sep 01 - 07:55 PM (#548491)
Subject: RE: Scottish Glossary
From: Abby Sale

Bandster seems a good possibility, too. Thanks for the suggestions.

13 Sep 01 - 12:32 AM (#548652)
Subject: RE: Scottish Glossary
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)

I saved the glossary (500kb as you say) but I can't open it. It saves as *.* which appears as a cfm ?? file and I get a reference to a mudcat letter I tried to save but had the same problem. What am I doing wrong? I use Netscape.

13 Sep 01 - 04:41 AM (#548743)
Subject: RE: Scottish Glossary
From: Scabby Douglas

RE: The Flowers o the Forest...

I was at a singing session in Glasgow at Cafe Source in St Andrew's Square, last night (Wednesday).

Kathleen - one of our regulars, sang "The Flowers..", and in the present circumstances, it was eerie and fitting, and we sat and listened in silence.

It was even more affecting because of the presence of a small group of US visitors.

Cheers

Doug

13 Sep 01 - 07:53 PM (#549428)
Subject: RE: Scottish Glossary
From: Abby Sale

Dicho: You didn't really do anything wrong but your computer doesn't know what to do with a .cfm (or an .asp or a few other generated pages). But here's a tip - when you save, change the extension to .html (& might as well change the filename to ScotGlos.html while you're at it.) That will load fine. It's still a big file so Netscape may still take a while, depending on your computer.

You might then (if you're adverturous or crazy) load it with Word for Windows (may take a while), Save as a Word doc, convert all the tables to text and save again. This will work & load easily & quickly.

Or just Save the html as a txt file. I tried this & it all lined up nicely as a reasonable, well-behaved file.

13 Sep 01 - 08:20 PM (#549458)
Subject: RE: Scottish Glossary
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)

Gee, thanks, Abbey. I owe you a single malt. Obviously I am computer-illiterate. It loaded instanter, I do a lot of photos which average 5000-7000 kb, so have a big drive.