Alice’s Carrànts in Wunnerlan
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland in Ulster Scots

By Lewis Carroll, translated into Ulster Scots by Anne Morrison-Smyth

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“In that direction,” the Cat said, waving its right paw around, “lives a Hatter: and in that direction,” waving the other paw, “lives a March Hare. Visit either you like: they’re both mad.”		“In thon direction,” the Cat said, wavin its richt paa roon, “leeves a Hatter: an in thon direction,” wavin the ither paa, “leeves a March Hir. Visit whativer yin yae lik: they’r baith mad.”
“But I don’t want to go among mad people,” Alice remarked.		“But A dinnae want tae gin amang mad fowk,” Alice remarkt.
“Oh, you ca’n’t help that,” said the Cat: “we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad.”		“Oh, yae cannae help that,” said the Cat. “Wae’r aal mad here. A’m mad. Yae’r mad.”
“How do you know I’m mad?” said Alice.		“Hoo dae yae know A’m mad?” said Alice.
“You must be,” said the Cat, “or you wouldn't have come here.”		“Yae maun bae,” said the Cat, “ir yae wudnae o come here.”
Lewis Carroll is a pen-name: Charles Lutwidge Dodgson was the author’s real name and he was lecturer in Mathematics in Christ Church, Oxford. Dodgson began the story on 4 July 1862, when he took a journey in a rowing boat on the river Thames in Oxford together with the Reverend Robinson Duckworth, with Alice Liddell (ten years of age) the daughter of the Dean of Christ Church, and with her two sisters, Lorina (thirteen years of age), and Edith (eight years of age). As is clear from the poem at the beginning of the book, the three girls asked Dodgson for a story and reluctantly at first he began to tell the first version of the story to them. There are many half-hidden references are made to the five of them throughout the text of the book itself, which was published finally in 1865.		Lewis Carroll is a pen-name: Charles Lutwidge Dodgson wus the scriever’s richt name an hae wus lecturer in Mathematics in Christ Church, Oxford. Dodgson stairtet the story on 4 July 1862, whin hae tuk a jaunt in a rowin boat on the river Thames in Oxford thegither wi the Reverent Robinson Duckworth, wi Alice Liddell (ten years oul), the dochter o the Deen o Christ Church, an wi her twa sisters, Lorina (thirteen years oul), an Edith (eight years oul). Frae the beginnin o the book, it’s clear that the thrie weelàsses axt Dodgson fur a story an, reluctant at furst, hae stairtet tae tell the furst version o the story tae thim. Monie half-hidden refrences ir med tae the five o thim throughout the text o the book itsel, whuch wus publisht at last in 1865.
This book is the first translation of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland into Ulster Scots, a language which derives from the Lowlands in Scotland and which was imported into Northern Ireland in the early 17th century. As a dialect of Scots, it is closely related to standard English, but there are many differences in both grammar and vocabulary between the two languages.		This buk is the furst translation o Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland intae Ulster Scots, a language that comes frae the Lowlans in Scotlan an thin wus brocht intae Norlan Airlan in the early 17th Century. Es it’s a dialect o Scots it haes close links wi standart Inglesh, but thur’s monie differences in baith grammer an vocabulary between the twa languages.
The orthography used in this book is based on the spellings that are mostly used by native speakers of Ulster Scots. Since Ulster Scots has only recently been written down, it lacks a fully standardized orthography, as well as authoritative and comprehensive dictionaries to help writers to spell consistently. Since Ulster Scots was not previously recognized as a language in its own right, writers of Ulster Scots have learned to think in their own language while writing down words in standard English—and so when people write Ulster Scots, they often have to pause to remember how certain words are spelled.		The orthography used in this book’s based on the spellins that ir maistly used bae native taakers o Ulster Scots. Baecaas Ulster Scots haes only recently bin wrote doon mere, it haesnae a fully standardized orthography, es weel es authoritative an comprehensive dictionaries tae help scrievers tae spell consistently. Baecaas Ulster Scots wusnae lukt upon es a language in its ain richt scrievers o Ulster Scots hae larnt tae think in thur ain language an scrieve doon wurds in standart Inglesh—an so whin fowk write in Ulster Scots, they hae tae stap a weethin ivery noo an agane tae mine hoo some wurds ir spelt.
A good deal of effort has been put into ensuring that the orthography used in Alice’s Carrànts in Wunnerlan is as consistent as possible. The spelling conforms to traditional practices amongst most of those writing in Ulster Scots and should be easily read by native speakers of Ulster Scots, brought up in the Ulster Scots speaking areas.		A guid deel o effert haes bin putt intae makin sure the orthography used in Alice’s Carrànts in Wunnerlan is es consistent es possible. The spellin conforms tae traditional practices amang maist o them that scrieve in Ulster Scots an shud bae aisily read bae native taakers o the language, that hae bin brocht up in the Ulster Scots taakin airts.
—Michael Everson		—Michael Everson