Lowland Scots

Lowland Scots
Name	Lowland Scots
Nativename	Scots
States	United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland
Region	Scottish Lowlands, Northern Isles, parts of Ulster
Ethnicity	Scots
Speakers	~1.5 million
Familycolor	Indo-European
Fam2	Germanic
Fam3	West Germanic
Fam4	Ingvaeonic
Fam5	Anglo-Frisian
Fam6	Anglic
Ancestor	Old English
Ancestor2	Middle English
Iso2	sco
Iso3	sco
Glotto	scot1243
Glottorefname	Scots
Lingua	52-ABA-aa (varieties: 52-ABA-aaa to -aav)

Lowland Scots. Often referred to simply as Scots, is a West Germanic language variety spoken in Scotland and parts of Northern Ireland. It developed from the early Northumbrian Old English brought to southeastern Scotland by the Angles and was influenced by Old Norse and later Middle Dutch. Recognized as a traditional language under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, it holds a distinct place from both Scottish Gaelic and Scottish English.

History

The language's origins lie in the speech of the Anglian kingdom of Northumbria, which extended into the Lothian region. Following the Battle of Carham in 1018, this area became part of the Kingdom of Scotland. The subsequent period saw significant influence from Old Norse due to Viking settlement in areas like Caithness, the Northern Isles, and the Western Isles. From the 12th century, the political and economic center shifted to the developing burghs of the Scottish Lowlands, where the language, then known as "Inglis," began to diverge from the speech of northern England. The Wars of Scottish Independence, including conflicts like the Battle of Bannockburn, fostered a distinct national literary tradition, exemplified by the work of John Barbour in *The Brus*. A golden age flourished during the reign of James IV, with major poets like William Dunbar and Robert Henryson. The Union of the Crowns in 1603 and later the Treaty of Union in 1707 shifted political power to London, leading to a gradual process of language shift towards Scottish Standard English.

Classification and related languages

Scots is classified within the Anglic branch of the West Germanic family. Its closest relative is English, with both deriving from a common Old English ancestor, specifically the Northumbrian dialect. It shares historical linguistic features with other North Sea Germanic languages, showing parallels with West Frisian in some developments. Within Scotland, it exists on a dialect continuum with Scottish English, and its historical development shows significant lexical influence from Scottish Gaelic, particularly in the Highlands and Islands, and from Romance languages like French and Latin through ecclesiastical and legal channels.

Geographic distribution

The traditional heartland of Scots encompasses the Scottish Lowlands, including regions such as Lothian, the Borders, Strathclyde, Central, and parts of Fife and Tayside. It is also spoken in the Northern Isles of Orkney and Shetland, where the distinctive Insular Scots dialects retain strong Norn influence. In Northern Ireland, varieties known collectively as Ulster Scots are spoken, particularly in counties like Antrim, Down, and Londonderry, a legacy of the Plantation of Ulster during the reign of James VI and I.

Phonology

Scots phonology is marked by several features distinct from Standard English. It typically retains the voiceless velar fricative /x/ in words like *loch* and *nicht*. The vowel system is diverse, with the Scottish Vowel Length Rule being a key characteristic. Notable vowel realizations include the pronunciation of the "a" in *stone* similar to that in *gone*, and the merger of vowels before /r/, as heard in *fern*, *fir*, and *fur*. Consonant features include the retention of wh as /ʍ/ and the common use of the glottal stop as an allophone for /t/.

Grammar

Grammatical structures in Scots often differ from Standard English. It frequently uses distinct verb forms, such as *gies* (gives) or *gies us* (give me). Negation can employ double modal verbs or the particle *-na*, as in *canna* (cannot). Plural nouns may be formed with *-is* or *-s* irrespective of the root word, and the definite article *the* is often used in contexts where English would omit it, such as with illnesses or institutions. Pronouns like *thou* and *thee* have largely disappeared, but regional variants like *youse* for the second-person plural persist.

Vocabulary

The lexicon of Scots is rich and distinctive, drawing from its diverse historical influences. Core Germanic vocabulary includes words like *bairn* (child), *kirk* (church), and *aye* (yes). Significant borrowings come from Old Norse, such as *kirk*, *gate* (street), and *lug* (ear). Scottish Gaelic contributed terms like *glen* and *loch*, while Middle Dutch and French left marks through trade and law, seen in words like *gowd* (gold) and *ashet* (serving platter). Literary figures like Robert Burns popularized many words, including *wee* and *bonnie*.

Status and cultural role

Scots is recognized as a regional language under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, ratified by the United Kingdom, and is protected under the Scottish Parliament's Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005. It has a vibrant literary tradition, from the makars of the 15th century to modern writers like Hugh MacDiarmid of the Scottish Renaissance and novelists such as Irvine Welsh. It is used in broadcasting by BBC Scotland and in education, though its social prestige varies. Cultural organizations like the Scots Language Society and events such as Burns Night play crucial roles in its promotion and maintenance.

Category:Germanic languages Category:Languages of Scotland Category:Languages of the United Kingdom