| Scottish English | |
|---|---|
| Native to | United Kingdom |
| Region | Scotland |
| Ethnicity | Scottish |
Early forms | |
| Latin (English alphabet) English Braille,Unified English Braille) | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | – |
| IETF | en-scotland |
| This article containsIPA phonetic symbols. Without properrendering support, you may seequestion marks, boxes, or other symbols instead ofUnicode characters. For an introductory guide on IPA symbols, seeHelp:IPA. | |
| Part of a series on the |
| English language |
|---|
| Features |
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Scottish English is the set ofvarieties of theEnglish language spoken inScotland. The transregional,standardised variety is calledScottish Standard English orStandard Scottish English (SSE).[1][2][3] Scottish Standard English may be defined as "the characteristic speech of the professional class [in Scotland] and the accepted norm in schools".[4]IETF language tag for "Scottish Standard English" is en-scotland.[5]
In addition to distinct pronunciation, grammar and expressions, Scottish English has distinctive vocabulary, particularly pertaining to Scottish institutions such as theChurch of Scotland,local government and theeducation andlegal systems.[6]
Scottish Standard English is one end of a bipolarlinguistic continuum, withbroadScots at the other.[7]Scottish English may be influenced to varying degrees by Scots.[8][9]Many Scots speakers separate Scots and Scottish English as differentregisters depending on social circumstances, with Scottish English treated as the formal variety, and Scots as informal.[10] Some speakerscode switch clearly from one to the other while othersstyle shift in a less predictable and more fluctuating manner.[10]
Scottish English resulted fromlanguage contact betweenScots and theStandard English of England after the 17th century. The resulting shifts to English usage by Scots-speakers resulted in many phonological compromises and lexical transfers, often mistaken formergers by linguists unfamiliar with the history of Scottish English.[11] Furthermore, the process was also influenced by interdialectal forms,hypercorrections andspelling pronunciations.[12] (See the section onphonology below.)
Convention traces the influence of the English of England upon Scots to the 16th-centuryReformation and to the introduction ofprinting.[13] Printing arrived in London in 1476, but the first printing press was not introduced to Scotland for another 30 years.[14] Texts such as theGeneva Bible, printed in English, were widely distributed in Scotland in order to spread Protestant doctrine.
King James VI of Scotland became King James I of England in 1603. Since England was the larger and richer of the two Kingdoms, James moved his court toLondon in England. The poets of the court therefore moved south and "began adapting the language and style of their verse to the tastes of the English market".[15] To this event McClure attributes "the sudden and total eclipse of Scots as a literary language".[15] The continuing absence of a Scots translation of the Bible meant thatthe translation of King James into English was used in worship in both countries.
TheActs of Union 1707 amalgamated the Scottish and English Parliaments. However the church, educational and legal structures remained separate. This leads to important professional distinctions in the definitions of some words and terms. There are therefore words with precise definitions in Scottish English which are either not used in English English or have a different definition.
The speech of the middle classes in Scotland tends to conform to the grammatical norms of the written standard, particularly in situations that are regarded as formal.Highland English is slightly different from the variety spoken in theLowlands in that it is more phonologically, grammatically, and lexically influenced by aGaelicsubstratum. Similarly, the English spoken in the North-East of Scotland tends to follow the phonology and grammar ofDoric.
Although pronunciation features vary among speakers (depending on region and social status), there are a number of phonological aspects characteristic of Scottish English:
| Pure vowels | ||
|---|---|---|
| Lexical set | Scottish English | Examples |
| KIT | [ë̞~ɪ] | bid, pit |
| FLEECE | [i] | bead, peat |
| DRESS | [ɛ~ɛ̝] | bed, pet |
| FACE | [e(ː)] | bay, hey, fate |
| TRAP | [ä] | bad, pat |
| PALM | balm, father, pa | |
| LOT | [ɔ] | bod, pot, cot |
| THOUGHT | bawd, paw, caught | |
| GOAT | [o(ː)] | road, stone, toe |
| FOOT | [ʉ~ʏ] | good, foot, put |
| GOOSE | booed, food | |
| STRUT | [ʌ~ɐ] | bud, putt |
| Diphthongs | ||
| PRICE | [ai] | buy, strive, writhe |
| [ɐi~ɜi~əi] | bind, strife, write | |
| MOUTH | [ɐʉ~ɜʉ~əʉ] | how, pout |
| CHOICE | [oi] | boy, hoy |
| Vowels followed by/r/ | ||
| START | [ä(ːə)r] | bar, mar |
| NEAR | [i(ːə)r] | beer, mere |
| SQUARE | [e(ːə)r] | bear, mare, Mary |
| NORTH | [ɔ(ː)r] | born, for |
| FORCE | [o(ːə)r] | boar, four, more |
| CURE | [ʉr] | boor, moor |
| NURSE (3-waydistinction) | [ɪr] | bird, fir |
| [ɛ̝r] | herd, fern | |
| [ʌr] | curse, fur | |
| Reduced vowels | ||
| COMMA | [ə] | Rosa's, cuppa |
| LETTER | [ər] | runner, mercer |
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Scotticisms are idioms or expressions that are characteristic ofScots, especially when used in English.[22] They are more likely to occur in spoken than written language.[23]
The use of Scottish English, as well as of Scots and of Gaelic in Scotland, were documented over the 20th century by theLinguistic Survey of Scotland at theUniversity of Edinburgh.
Scotticisms are generally divided into two types:[24] covert Scotticisms, which generally go unnoticed as being particularly Scottish by those using them, and overt Scotticisms, usually used for stylistic effect, with those using them aware of their Scottish nature.
Scottish English has inherited a number of lexical items from Scots,[25] which are less common in other forms of standard English.[citation needed]
General items arewee, the Scots word for small (also common inCanadian English,New Zealand English andHiberno-English probably under Scottish influence);wean orbairn for child (the latter from Common Germanic,[26] cf modernSwedish,Norwegian,Danish,Icelandic,Faroesebarn,West Frisianbern and also used inNorthern English dialects);bonnie for pretty, attractive, (or good looking, handsome, as in the case ofBonnie Prince Charlie);braw for fine;muckle for big;spail or skelf for splinter (cf.spall);snib for bolt;pinkie for little finger;janitor for school caretaker (these last two are also standard inAmerican English);outwith, meaning 'outside of';cowp for tip or spill;fankle for a tangled mess;kirk for 'church' (from the same root in Old English but with parallels in other Germanic languages, e.g. Old Norsekirkja, Dutchkerk). Examples of culturally specific items areHogmanay,caber,haggis,bothy,scone (also used elsewhere in the British Isles),oatcake (now widespread in the UK),tablet,rone (roof gutter),teuchter,ned,numpty (witless person; now more common in the rest of the UK) andlandward (rural);It's your shot for "It's your turn"; and the once notorious but now obsoletetawse.
The diminutive ending "-ie" is added to nouns to indicate smallness, as inladdie andlassie for a young boy and young girl. Other examples arepeirie (child's wooden spinning top) andsweetie (piece ofconfectionery). The ending can be added to many words instinctively, e.g.bairn (see above) can becomebairnie, a small shop can become awee shoppie. These diminutives are particularly common among the older generations and when talking to children.[citation needed]
The use of "How?" meaning "Why?" is distinctive of Scottish,Northern English andNorthern Irish English. "Why not?" is often rendered as "How no?".[citation needed]
There is a range of (often anglicised) legal and administrative vocabulary inherited from Scots,[27] e.g.depute/ˈdɛpjut/ fordeputy,proven/ˈproːvən/ forproved (standard in American English),interdict for '"injunction",[28][29] andsheriff-substitute for "acting sheriff". In Scottish education ashort leet is a list of selected job applicants, and aremit is a detailed job description.Provost is used for "mayor" andprocurator fiscal for "public prosecutor".
Often, lexical differences between Scottish English and Southern Standard English are simply differences in the distribution of shared lexis, such asstay for "live" (as in:where do you stay?).[citation needed]
The progressive verb forms are used rather more frequently than in other varieties of standard English, for example with somestative verbs (I'm wanting a drink).[citation needed] The future progressive frequently implies an assumption (You'll be coming from Glasgow?).[citation needed]
In some areas perfect aspect of a verb is indicated using "be" as auxiliary with the preposition "after" and the present participle: for example "He is after going" instead of "He has gone" (this construction is borrowed fromScottish Gaelic).[citation needed]
The definite article tends to be used more frequently in phrases such asI've got the cold/the flu,he's at the school,I'm away to the kirk.[citation needed]
Speakers often use prepositions differently. The compound prepositionoff of is often used (Take that off of the table). Scots commonly sayI was waiting on you (meaning "waiting for you"), which means something quite different in Standard English.[citation needed]
In colloquial speechshall andought are scarce,must is marginal for obligation andmay is rare. Here are other syntactical structures:
In Scottish English, the first person declarativeI amn't invited and interrogativeAmn't I invited? are both possible.[citation needed]
An idiom or mode of expression characteristic of Scots; esp. as used by a writer of English.
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