Scots language

Scots language
Name	Scots
Nativename	Scots
States	United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland
Region	Scotland, Ulster (Northern Ireland and parts of the Republic of Ireland)
Ethnicity	Scots
Speakers	~1.5 million (second language speakers included)
Familycolor	Indo-European
Fam2	Germanic
Fam3	West Germanic
Fam4	Anglo-Frisian
Fam5	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)

Scots language. It is a West Germanic language that evolved from the Northumbrian Old English spoken in southeastern Scotland, developing distinctively from the Middle English of England. Often referred to historically as "Inglis" or "Doric", it has been influenced by Old Norse from Viking settlers and later by Norman French and Dutch. Today, it exists on a linguistic continuum with Scottish English, ranging from broad vernacular to standardized literary forms.

History

The language's origins lie in the speech of the Anglian settlers who established the kingdom of Bernicia, which later became part of Northumbria. Following the Battle of Carham in 1018, this territory was incorporated into the Kingdom of Scotland. The subsequent period saw significant influence from Old Norse due to settlement and rule in areas like the Kingdom of the Isles. By the late medieval period, what was then called "Inglis" had become the dominant language of the Scottish Lowlands and court, exemplified by the poetry of Robert Henryson and William Dunbar in the Scottish Court. The Union of the Crowns in 1603 and later the Acts of Union 1707 shifted political power to London, leading to the increasing prestige of Southern English English. The 18th-century Scottish Enlightenment, featuring figures like Allan Ramsay and Robert Burns, produced a major literary revival, though the language faced further marginalization during the Victorian era through education policies promoting Standard English.

Geographic distribution

The language is traditionally spoken throughout the Scottish Lowlands, the Northern Isles of Orkney and Shetland, and in parts of Argyll and Bute. A distinct variety known as Ulster Scots is spoken in regions of Northern Ireland, particularly in counties like Antrim, Down, and Londonderry, as a result of the Plantation of Ulster in the 17th century. Within Scotland, major urban centers with strong vernacular traditions include Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, and Aberdeen, the latter associated with the Doric dialect. There are also diaspora communities in areas such as Nova Scotia in Canada and parts of New Zealand. The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages recognizes it within the United Kingdom.

Phonology

The sound system is distinct, with a typical consonant inventory including the voiceless velar fricative /x/ as in "loch". Vowel phonology is complex, preserving many distinctions lost in standard English; for instance, the vowel in "hoose" differs from that in "house". It generally lacks the Great Vowel Shift outcomes found in southern British English, and features the retention of the wh- sound /ʍ/. Rhoticity is a strong feature, with the /r/ sound pronounced post-vocalically. Influences from Old Norse are evident in places like Shetland, where pronunciation can differ markedly from mainland varieties. The Scottish Vowel Length Rule is a key characteristic, determining vowel length based on phonetic environment.

Grammar

Grammatical structures often differ from Standard English. Present tense verbs frequently take "-s" in all persons and numbers, as in "I says, we comes". Modal verbs like "can" may appear as "canna" for negation. The system of pronouns includes distinctive forms such as "thou" and "thee" in some varieties, and "ye" for plural "you". The definite article "the" is often used before nouns referring to institutions or common concepts, such as "gaun tae the kirk". Prepositions show unique usage, with "till" used for "to" and "frae" for "from". Comparative and superlative forms can be constructed with "mair" and "maist", and double modals like "might could" are possible in some dialects. The Northern Subject Rule governs verb agreement in present tense.

Vocabulary

The lexicon contains a large number of words not found in standard English, drawing from diverse historical sources. Core Old English vocabulary is retained in words like "bairn" (child) and "kirk" (church). Significant borrowings from Old Norse include "kirk", "gate" (street), and "lug" (ear). Later influences from Norman French and Middle Dutch contributed terms like "ashet" (serving plate) and "caddie". The language also has a rich array of unique Scots words, such as "dreich" for dreary weather, "wee" for small, and "bonnie" for beautiful. Literary figures like Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson helped preserve and popularize much of this vocabulary. In Ulster Scots, terms like "thole" (endure) and "oxter" (armpit) are common.

Status and recognition

It is recognized as a regional language under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, which the United Kingdom ratified in 2001. Domestically, the Scottish Parliament established by the Scotland Act 1998 has shown support, with the Scottish Government publishing key strategies like "Scots Language Policy". It is taught as an optional subject in some schools and features in the Curriculum for Excellence. Cultural bodies such as the Scottish Language Dictionaries and the National Library of Scotland work to document and promote it. Despite this, it often faces challenges of dialect perception and lacks the institutional support of Scottish Gaelic. Major media outlets like BBC Scotland and The Scotsman provide some content, and events like the annual Burns Supper celebrate its literary heritage.

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