Bid to discover power of Dundonian dialect

True Dundonians are being invited to take part in research into the city's unique dialect.

Academics at Abertay University hope to prove that older people who speak the loca l dialect are mentally stronger and better prepared to combat symptoms of dementia in later life.  They want fluent volunteers aged 60+ to help them look into it by completing a short series of puzzles and questions.

The reseachers hope to tap into the language used by Dundee's older population before the valuable linguistic resource dies with them.

The death of the local vernacular is a concern shared by Gary Robertson, the city's dialect poet and one of Dundee's Ambassadors who worries that the influences of American TV shows the internet and txt-speak is diluting the city's rich mosaic of language.

Abertay research supervisor Dr Ken Scott-Brown said "Compared to studies of second languages dialect studies are very few and far between.

"All parents, grandparents, aunties and uncles are invited to get in touch with us and help discover how powerful speaking in Dundonian really is."

To register call 07548 481651 or email dialect@abertay.ac.uk