Thereanent

I'm periodically asked about the name of this blog.  What is "thereanent"?

Is it the re-anent, as in "she tried the re-anent, but it did not work" or "he went to the re-anent but found it empty"?

Could it be there an ent, as in the Morningside pronunciation of "over there, an ant hill once stood"?

Or is it therean ent, an entrainment company specialising is metamorphosing into animals?

It is, of course, none of these things.  It is simply a wonderful Scots word, used largely in legal (and ecclesiastical) circles:

thereanent (ˈðɛərəˈnɛnt)
adv. Scottish in reference to; concerning

It is one in a long line of such words, which are in a sad and steady decline in usage.  This blog is named in a subtle attempt to keep alive that particular line of Scots Presbyterianese, the use of which would make our language much more vibrant, as the following tale illustrates:

Scotsmen have guilt

Karoo

Friday 16th December

Cape Town, Western Cape

We awoke as the sun rose over the Karoo.  A small herd of springbok grazed on the sparse vegetation as the train rolled merrily forward.

As we enter the Western Cape, the landscape changes: mountains appear, the ground becomes greener, flamingos and heron occupy the water.  The valleys become packed with vineyards and the talk in the lounge car turns to the quality of various wines.

The train manager approaches.  "So, you're a Scotsman - you must have a guilt," he declares.

I momentarily ponder this statement.  Is it a result of the effect of Calvinism on our culture?  Does it relate to our colonial past?  Just as I am preparing to unburden my soul, I see from his hand gestures that what he meant to say was "kilt".

I chuckle inwardly at my misapprehension and the conversation that could have flowed from it, but he soon sparks off another language question.

"We call bagpipes dudelsacks.  What do you call them?" he asks.  "Bagpipes," I reply.

It all sets me off thinking about the similarities between our languages:

• Ag (pronounced lich "och" and meaning the same)
• Bakkie - pick-up truck
• China - friend
• Kak - shit
• Kerk - church
• Muggie - flying bug
• Tekkies - trainers
• Vellies - outdoor shoes

Many cultures and nationalities are present on the train.  On hearing we were from Scotland, one American gentleman responded, "Great!  I love Dublin!"  We didn't shatter his illusions.

26 hours after leaving, the train rolled into Cape Town station amid torrential rain and gale force winds.  When the weather finally abated, we walked along the V&A Waterfront, a textbook example of how to redevelop a former industrial site into a gentrified upmarket location.

We'll be back here next week to visit Robben Island, so more on that later.  Tomorrow, we head north up the West Coast in the hope of catching some of the Cape flower season.