Detail View: Laing Collection: Letter to Thorkelin, f.894v

Work Record ID: 
0011779
Licence: 
Shelfmark: 
La.III.379/474
Holding Institution: 
University of Edinburgh
Title: 
Letter to Thorkelin
Alternate Title: 
Correspondence of Professor Thorkelin, Keeper of the Records, Copenhagen.3 vols.
Subset Index: 
f.894v
Creator: 
Jamieson, John
Creator Nationality: 
Scottish
Creator Role: 
Author
Authority Permalink: 
http://viaf.org/viaf/73905587
Date: 
23 July 1788
Description: 
Page 4 of 7. Grímur Jónsson Thorkelin, an Antiquarian in search of Dutch works in the UK, was in the British Isles and Ireland around the time that John Jamieson was finishing university at the University of Glasgow and at a time when the merit of the Scots language was under attack. Conversations between Thorkelin and Jamieson made a large impact on Jamieson’s later decision to compile the Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Language, particularly regarding the suggestion that Scots was not ‘bad English’ but rather a variation of Old Norse. This idea motivated Jamieson to immerse himself in efforts to conserve the language. This particular letter seems to be a reply to Thorkelin regarding a manuscript he was working on. Jamieson kindly critiqued and edited it. The nature of the relationship between the two men is shown through Jamieson's constructive criticism and offered advice that remains flexible, given that he always allows for the possibilty that he has misunderstood Thorkelin's intended meanings.
Location: 
Centre for Research Collections/Main Library
Subject Category: 
Correspondence & Journals
Subject Category: 
Archives
Subject Category: 
Scotland
Related Work Title: 
Letter to Thorkelin
Related Work Page No: 
f.894v
Related Work Notes: 
Subset/Host Work
Rights Statement: 
© The University of Edinburgh
Tag: 
Correspondence and Journals
Tag: 
Archives
Tag: 
Jamieson
Tag: 
Thorkelin
Tag: 
Critique
Tag: 
Scotland
Tag: 
Scots Language
Tag: 
Eighteenth Century
Tag: 
Holograph Manuscript
Repro File Type: 
Cropped Tiff
Repro File Size (bytes): 
134350876
Repro Title: 
Letter to Thorkelin, f.894v
Repro Rights Statement: 
© The University of Edinburgh
Repro Capture Date: 
2008:06:12 13:25:45