Apologetic apostrophes

Da Shaetlan wirds fir 'wool', 'all', 'of', 'full' is oo, aa, o an foo. Becis dey irna da sam as da StE eens noo an agein d'ir written wi whit dey caa a apologetic apostrophe, laek dis:

'oo'

a'

o'

fu'

fur da writer tinks at somethin is missin idda Shaetlan wird. Dis notion onnly startit in da Scots spaekin plaesses idda 18C as pairt o da Anglicisation process o Scots. Bit aa at da apologetic apostrophe døs is tae mak oot at Scots is a croppit doon wye o spaekin StE, an dat's wrang fae a historic point o view. Dis eens is perfectly richt an full Shaetlan wirds in dir ain richt. Da equivalent wid be somethin laek writin

'bike

h'ook

n'ook

(wi a apologetic apostrophe) athin StE, becis da Shaetlan wirds is langer (pushbike, hyook, nyook).

Da Shaetlan wird oo comes fae da Aald Scots oull (attestit fae 1447), an dat in turn comes fae da Aald English (w)uul(l). Hit's a braaly aald wird at gings aa da wye back til Proto-Indo-European an it's fun athin aa branches o dat language faimily. Athin Aald Norse hit wis ull (an yun's da wye it is yit in aa da Scandinavian languages). Da pronunciation /u:l/ (ithoot a /w-/) is attestit in Aald English fae da 8C. Da pronunciation /u:/ (ithoot /w-/ or /-l/) is attestit in Scots fae at laest da 18C.