Scots Language

Scots is a Western Germanic language spoken by an estimated 1.5 million people in the Scottish Lowlands, Northern Isles, and parts of Northern Ireland. Closely related to English and bearing strong Norse, Gaelic, Latin, and French influences, Scots often has been confused as English spoken with a Scottish accent, but it has its own spellings, word meanings, and rules of grammar. At one time British officials discouraged Scots, but it is now recognized by European authorities and the British government as a distinct language. Scots encompasses several Scottish dialects and is known also as Braid Scots, Doric, Lallans, and Scotch. It is one of three native languages used in the country, along with English and Scottish Gaelic (or Scots Gaelic).

Today Scots is primarily a spoken language with several variations in the way it is written and pronounced. It uses the same Latin alphabet as English, although traditional Scots incorporates a twenty-seventh character, called yogh (ȝ), which is still used in several local names and places. Modern usage usually substitutes the letter z for the character. Some familiar words associated with Scotland, such as bonnie, laddie, and lassie, have origins in the language. Terms such as aboot (about), cooncil (council), faither (father), mither (mother), and hoose (house) may seem like incorrect English but are actual Scots words.

History and Classification

The Scots language comes from the speech of the Angles, a Germanic tribe that settled in northern Britain around the sixth century CE. Their language, originally known as Angle-ish or Inglis, is the origin for the term English. In the ninth century, Danish Vikings conquered this area of Britain, and their Norse language heavily influenced Inglis. Inglis continued to evolve through the Middle Ages into a distinct language, adopting elements of Gaelic and separating itself from English spoken in southern Britain. During the twelfth century, the language took on Latin and French influences, and Scottish monks began to use a seminal form of Scots in their written works.

By the mid-thirteenth century, Scotland had established its modern borders; a century later, it won its independence from Britain. Scots became the official language of the nation and was used in literature, education, and government. The oldest surviving text of Scots writing comes from this era—a fragment of verse about the death of Scottish king Alexander III, who died in 1286. The oldest known literary work in the language is the epic poem The Brus, a 1375 work by writer John Barbour about Scottish hero and king Robert the Bruce.

Differences between Scots and English became pronounced during the following centuries, and as Scotland and England began to move closer politically and culturally, the language barrier caused problems. According to tax records from the 1690s, an estimated 70 percent of the Scottish population spoke Scots, but English became the primary language used when the two nations conducted business. In 1707 the Treaty of Union ended Scottish independence and merged the nation's governing bodies. Scots became relegated to a provincial dialect, and English was adopted as the official language for government affairs. English also became the language spoken among the societal elite, with Scots often mocked as a crude, rustic tongue spoken only by commoners.

By the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, use of Scots had become increasingly discouraged in the educational system and by British government officials. Nevertheless, Scots survived as a local dialect among those who valued its place in Scottish history. By the late twentieth century, the language underwent a resurgence. In 1991 Scottish education officials decided to reintroduce the teaching of Scots in schools, and in 1993 the European Bureau for Lesser-Used Languages officially recognized Scots as a distinct language. The British government followed suit in 2001 and also recognized the language.

Geographic Distribution and Modern Usage

According to the 2011 Scottish census, more than1.5 million people, or 30 percent of the Scottish population, speak Scots. Longstanding prejudices against the language have made locals wary of speaking it to visitors or in formal situations. They prefer to keep its use among family and friends. While its use in media is not widespread, some Scottish television shows and movies feature the language. Scots consists of four geographic dialects, each with several distinct sub-dialects:

• Insular
• Orkney: This sub-dialect, spoken in the islands off Scotland's northeast coast, was heavily influenced by Norse invaders who settled in the area about the ninth century.
• Shetland: This sub-dialect, similar to Orkney, is spoken in the Shetland Islands off the northeast coast and also has strong Norse roots.
• Northern
• North East: This sub-dialect, spoken in the northeast of the Scottish mainland, is known as The Doric. It contains elements of Norse, Gaelic, Scandinavian, and Belgian. A distinctive feature is the use of the letter f in place of wh in words such as foo (who) or fan (when).
• Caithness: This sub-dialect, spoken in the extreme northeast of the Scottish mainland, bears many similarities to the North East dialect.
• East Angus and Kincardine: This sub-dialect, spoken along the eastern coast of central Scotland, is also called Scotch, Mearns, or Angus and contains elements of Gaelic.
• Central
• East Central North: This sub-dialect is also called Scotch, Dundonian, Fife Scots, or East Neuk Scots. Historic towns in this region include Dundee, Falkirk, Stirling, and Dunfermline.
• East Central South: Closely related to the East Central North sub-dialect, this sub-dialect is noted for adding an e sound to the end of certain words. This region is home to the Scottish capital, Edinburgh.
• West Central: The sub-dialect in this industrialized area bears influences of Welsh and Gaelic. In the city of Glasgow, it is called The Patter and differs from Scots spoken in the surrounding countryside.
• South Central: This sub-dialect of southwestern Scotland contains Gaelic elements. Famed Scottish poet Robert Burns wrote in this dialect.
• Southern
• Borders Scots: This sub-dialect, spoken near the English border, is known for its distinctive vowel sounds, such as yow instead of you or mey instead of me.

Bibliography

"The Main Dialects of Scots." Scots Language Centre. Scots Language Centre. 2015. Web. 19 Aug. 2015.http://www.scotslanguage.com/pages/view/id/10

"Scots." Encyclopedia of Language & Linguistics. Ed. Keith Brown, et al. 2nd ed. Vol. 11. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 2005. 33–36. Print.

"Scots (Scots Leid/Lallans)." Omniglot: The Online Encyclopedia of Writing Systems & Languages. Simon Ager. 2015. Web. 19 Aug. 2015. http://www.omniglot.com/writing/scots.htm

"What Is Scots?" Scots Language Centre. Scots Language Centre. 2015. Web. 18 Aug. 2015.http://www.scotslanguage.com/What‗is‗Scots%3F‗uid2/What‗is‗Scots‗%3F