Liz Lochhead, Scotland's new makar. Photograph: Murdo Macleod What's-its-name? Makar. Stress on first syllable. Which just means or meant, so can do again, one of the functions of poetry being to revivify language maker. The old Scots form of the word. As in: Mony a mickle wee bits of writing over the years maks "makar" a muckle deal of an honour to find oneself receiving a month after one's 63rd birthday . . . A five-year post as "Scotland's makar" - not "the Scots makar", which might imply writing exclusively in Scots, which I do occasionally, though more commonly in Scots-English, or, usually, in plain English. (What writer worth her salt would aspire to write in standard English?) "Laureate", because of its common usage, is understood better, but as it's actually an adjective describing the noun "poet", it is, come to think of it, itself rather a foosty antique construction. (Robert Burns, the Poet Ineb...
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