'Scottish English'
© Peter Nicholson / SCRAN
English is currently Scotland's first language, a tongue it shares in common with numerous other states around the world. However, the English spoken in Scotland is unique, and very different from the English of England, America or Australia. The English language in Scotland has been permeated by the influence of the older, Norse-influenced variety of Old English that became what is now known as Scots.
The English language is Scotland could be said to exist in a continuum from a dialect influenced by specifically Scots vocabulary and grammatical usage to more or less standard English, but spoken with an identifiably Scottish accent. And this continuum may exist in the usage of an individual speaker.
There is no such thing as a 'correct' Scottish way of speaking or spelling. Scottish speech and writing are not taught in Scottish schools. On the one hand, most modern Scots have the desire and instinct to use at least some Scottish vocabulary and grammar. On the other hand, the TV, radio, movies and books from England and America can sometimes suggest that to do so marks them as unfashionable or socially inferior.
Most native Scots retain a distinct accent. Although there are common elements, accents differ widely from region to region. The amount of dialect vocabulary and grammar used also varies according to upbringing.
Some Scottish words and expressions are used and understood across virtually the whole country. Among them are: dinnae, cannae, willnae (don't, can't, won't), wee (small), aye (yes), ken (know), greet (weep), kirk (church), breeks (pants), lassie (girl), bairn (child), flit (move from one home to another), bonny (pretty), chap (knock), and bide (stay).
Other phrases, though using internationally recognisable English words, reveal their Scottishness not just by accent but by grammar. Scots, for example, will say 'Are you not going?' or 'Are you no going?' rather than 'Aren't you going?' And 'I'm away to my bed' often replaces 'I'm going to bed.'
Beyond these well-used everyday words and expressions, every Scot has his or her extra Scottish vocabulary. In its heyday, the Scots tongue produced enough unique words to fill several dictionaries, and many of these terms survive in one way or another.
Scottish writers may dip into this word pool at will, often finding words for which there are no equivalents in standard English. The speech of many older Scottish people is also scattered with a selection of Scots expressions, and varying in degree from family to family, the younger generation follows suit.
A rich variety of dialect words and phrases survives in the regions. Glaswegians, for instance, may call children weans, not bairns. In the northeast the word quine is used instead of lassie for girl, and the words for who and what are fa and fit. In Dundee eh rather than aye is the Scots word for yes. Orkney and Shetland have a deep wellspring of dialect words from their Norse past: Faans is what Shetlanders call a snowdrift; haaf-fish and tang-fish are Orcadian for the two different species of seal that frequent their islands.
Hearing the Scots speak in their particular local accents is one of the pleasures of travelling in Scotland.
Ideas
- Discuss the difference between standard English and Scottish English.
- What words are in common use by members of the class that are not English?
- Are they Scots words? Would somebody from the south of England of the United States understand them?
- Create a class dictionary of words used in Scots or Scottish English and their meanings. Do you have an older relative who uses Scots words? Ask him or her to suggest some words.
Did you know?
An 'English' team, Berwick Rangers, is part of the Scottish Football League. Its moment of fame was in 1967 when it beat Rangers 1-0 in the first round of the Scottish Cup.
Like many parts of the borders, Berwick Upon Tweed was once a 'debatable land' - sometimes belonging to Scotland, sometimes to England and sometimes not seeming to belong to either.