Methodising Scots: the Cases of Allan Ramsay & Thomas Ruddiman

Examines the linguistic issues facing editors of two 18th century Scottish editors, Allan Ramsay and Thomas Ruddiman, in modifying or standardizing the language in earlier Scottish poetic manuscripts, arguing that the editorial process is not—and never has been—“neutral” or “objective” but is rather a hermeneutic act constrained by contemporary conditions of publication and intended audience, and that Ramsay and Ruddiman, like modern editors, were constrained in quite delicate ways by their historical setting