The history of Scots and English in 10 objects | In-person

Jeremy Smith, author and linguistics specialist, uncovers the unique stories and histories of English and Scots through ten extraordinary objects: a bone, a piece of jewellery, a stone cross, a jug, two manuscripts, two letters, a broadside sheet, and an early printed book. Each object is marked in ways that reveal how language was used in past societies.

Until the end of the nineteenth century, before the development of technologies for recording speech, languages of the past reached us only through written forms. These items are coded in ways that require careful interpretation.

Ten historical objects will be shown on screen, and we'll hear how their material features have helped reconstruct how texts functioned in their original societies, and how they have been understood since.

Note: This free event includes a discussion with Jeremy Smith followed by time for audience Q&A. It is suitable for those interested in history, language, and the evolution of English and Scots.

This event is part of RSE Investigates - a yearly programme of free public events that look closely at a new topic each year. Through research-led insights and personal perspectives, the series explores the nuances and real-world implications of issues that shape our understanding of society.

This year, the focus is on language – how it connects us, how it shapes our identities and the environments, and how language can be a vital lens for examining some of today’s most pressing issues.

Chair:

Professor Jennifer Smith FBA FRSE

University of Glasgow

Jennifer Smith is a sociolinguist whose research investigates language variation and change across time, space and the social system.

She has worked on the origins and development of Englishes worldwide, the linguistic repertoires of multilectal speakers, and the sociolinguistic development of children as they move from imitators in the home to innovators in the playground.

She has directed a number of ESRC, AHRC and British Academy funded projects, including the creation of two digital resources - The Scots Syntax Atlas and Speak for Yersel - which map dialect patterns across Scotland, bringing linguistic research into the public sphere.

Speakers:

Professor Jeremy Smith FRSE

Professor Emeritus and Senior Research Fellow, English Language and Linguistics, University of Glasgow

Jeremy Smith retired in 2021 as Professor of English Philology at Glasgow University, where he is now a Senior Research Fellow. He is also an Honorary Professor, University of St Andrews. A specialist in English historical linguistics, the history of Scots, book history, and early English and Scots language and literature, he is a Fellow of the English Association and an Honorary Fellow of the Association of Scottish Literary Studies. Recent books include Transforming Early English (2020), Genre in English Medical Writing 1500-1820 (ed, with Irma Taavitsainen, Turo Hiltunen and Carla Suhr, 2022), and Reinventing Medieval Liturgy in Victorian England (with David Jasper, 2023); Lexicons of English Religion 1380-1850, funded by the Leverhulme Trust, is forthcoming. For RSE he has served on various committees on public engagement and research awards, and has for many years delivered talks for RSE’s schools programme.

Important points to note

• This event is suitable for age 16+
• Accessibility Statement: We aim to make events as accessible as possible. If you have any accessibility requirements or any questions about how we can support this event, please contact the RSE Public Engagement team on [email protected]

• COVID-19: In order to prevent the spread of Covid-19 we kindly encourage participants to continue to wear face masks if they feel comfortable to do so; use the hand sanitisers provided at the venue; and to stay at home if they have Covid symptoms or have tested positive for Covid-19.

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