Lallans (/ˈlælənz/LAL-ənz,[1]Scots:[ˈlɑːlən(d)z,ˈlo̜ːl-];[2] aModern Scots variant of the wordlawlands, referring to thelowlands of Scotland), means theScots language, or certain varieties of it.
The term was traditionally used to refer to the Scots as a whole.[3] However, more recent interpretations assume it refers to the dialects of south and central Scotland,[citation needed] whileDoric, a term once used to refer to Scots dialects in general, is now generally seen to refer to theMid Northern Scots dialects spoken in the north-east of Scotland.[4][5]
BothRobert Burns andRobert Louis Stevenson used it to refer to the Scots language as a whole.
They took nae pains their speech to balance,
Or rules to gie;
But spak their thoughts in plain, braid lallans,
Like you or me.
"What tongue does your auld bookie speak?"
He'll spier; an' I, his mou to steik:
"No bein' fit to write in Greek,
I wrote in Lallan,
Dear to my heart as the peat reek,
Auld as Tantallon.
The termLallans was also used during theScottish Renaissance of the early 20th century to refer to whatHugh MacDiarmid calledsynthetic Scots, i.e., a synthesis integrating, blending, and combining various forms of theScots language, bothvernacular andarchaic. This was intended as a classical, standard Scots for a world-class literature.
Sydney Goodsir Smith in his 1951 essay "A Short Introduction to Scottish Literature" commented:
However, the result was more often than not Scots words grafted on to astandard English grammatical structure somewhat removed from traditional spoken Scots, its main practitioners not being habitual Lowland Scots speakers themselves. "In addition, the present century has seen the conscious creation of a 'mainstream' variety of Scots — a standard literary variety,... referred to as 'synthetic Scots', now generally goes under the name Lallans (=Lowlands).... In its grammar and spelling, it shows the marked influence of Standard English, more so than other Scots dialects."[8]
MacDiarmid's detractors often referred to it asplastic Scots — a word play onsynthetic as in synthetic plastics — to emphasize its artificiality.
Roy Campbell, aSouth African poet of proudlyScottish descent and political opponent and critic of MacDiarmid since theSpanish Civil War, in later life poked fun at MacDiarmid's use of Synthetic Scots in the poemSka-hawtch Wha Hae! A Likkle wee poom i'th' Aulde Teashoppe Pidgin Brogue, Lallands or Butter-Scotch (Wi' apooligees to MockDiarmid).[9]In a footnote explaining the poem, Campbell scholarJoseph Pearce wrote, "MacDiarmid championed the use of Scots... in poetry, often employing traditional or regional parochialisms in artificial or dubious contexts."[10]
Sydney Goodsir Smith, however, defended the literary use of the idiom in hisEpistle to John Guthrie:
Lallans is the name of the magazine of theScots Language Society.
InUlster the neologismUllans mergingUlster andLallans is often used to refer to a revived literary variety ofUlster Scots. The magazine of theUlster Scots Language Society is also namedUllans.
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