How is the Scottish language regarded among the Scots?

[poiuytrewq0987]

Do Scots consider their language to be an important part of their life or do the lot of them just don't care and speak English instead?

[Murphy]

Very few really care about Scottish Gaelic, we are taught Standard English in schools and most speak Scots or Scottish English. All anyone really knows is that it sounds different from what they speak down south, and that's just grand.

[poiuytrewq0987]

Very few really care about Scottish Gaelic, we are taught Standard English in schools and most speak Scots or Scottish English. All anyone really knows is that it sounds different from what they speak down south, and that's just grand.

So I assume if the trends continue, the Scots will just end up Anglicized. Is there any cause in Scotland that seeks to preserve its Celtic heritage or is it doomed?

[Murphy]

So I assume if the trends continue, the Scots will just end up Anglicized. Is there any cause in Scotland that seeks to preserve its Celtic heritage or is it doomed?

Scots is already Anglicised in many parts of the country and it has been so for generations. The Scots I speak is an Anglicised Scots influenced by Hiberno-English.

There are people who wish to preserve the Celtic aspect of Scottish history, including the language, but if they follow the current Irish model then yes, it's all doomed.

[Beorn]

The Scottish are just Anglo-Saxons in denial.

Scottish Gaelic as a mythical rather than historic language of Scotland.

[Paleo]

Do Scots consider their language to be an important part of their life or do the lot of them just don't care and speak English instead?

Their are two language's traditionally spoken in Scotland; Gaelic of Celtic origin in highlands, Islands and small pockets of the lowlands. And Scots, of Scandinavian origin in the rest of the lowlands. Scots is technically a language on its own, but is considered slang.

I personally think both should be preserved as a piece of our cultural and traditional identity. Scots is my mother tongue I speak it all the time, and enjoy doing so. However, I think people should learn to speak clear english just for practical purposes.

Originally Posted by Brennus
The Scottish are just Anglo-Saxons in denial.

Although culturally influenced buy Germanic people's though trade and their kingdoms; DNA testing has shown the traditional population of Scots (and other Britons, including the english) has remain constant for over 12,000 years. We are firmly indigenous regardless of what daft AntiFa twats say.

Good book by Arthor Kemp: Part 1.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYTenXkNoeU

Part 2.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpSkb...eature=related

[Wyn]

And Scots, of Scandinavian origin

Scots is not of Scandinavian origin, but Old English/Anglic.

[Osweo]

Their are two language's traditionally spoken in Scotland; Gaelic of Celtic origin in highlands, Islands and small pockets of the lowlands. And Scots, of Scandinavian origin in the rest of the lowlands.

NONONONONONONOOOOOOO! :nono:

There were about five languages at play in the most fundamental period of the formation of the modern Scottish identity.

See my map for a rough idea;

Before the Romans left Britain, up to the fourth century or so, the whole thing would have been red - British/Welsh/Pictish. There were local differences in dialect, but nothing too major.

Then the Angles/Saxons/English (yellow) and the Irish/Scots/Gaels (green) swarmed in, and pushed the Britons into the Clyde valley and the northeast. The Northeast experienced some Gaelic penetration, but many parts will have gone very rapidly over to English. The southwest retained its Welsh speech until well into the mediaeval period, much of it never having known Gaelic.

Last of all, the Norse came along (blue).

So, there were areas of Scotland that never spoke Gaelic, and others that went straight from Welsh to English speaking. In the North, the Norse turned Gaelic and Pictish speaking areas Norse, which continued in the far north until very recently, while in the west they all began to speak Gaelic and still do.

It's terrible that Norn and Welsh have so slipped out of public consciousness in Scotland.

Scots is technically a language on its own, but is considered slang.

Unfortunately, this linguistic question has been clouded by politics, as in many other parts of the world.
They joke that a dialect becomes a 'language' as soon as it has its own army and navy... But if intelligibility and descent are your considerations, Scots is a part of the wider English family.

Scots is not of Scandinavian origin, but Old English/Anglic.

Well,,,, mostly.
But I'd also say that there isn't ONE 'Scots', but several, and some have more Scandinavian in than others. But yes, ultimately, the Old Northumbrian English is the most direct ancestor.

[Paleo]

Scots is not of Scandinavian origin, but Old English/Anglic.

Thanks for the correction.

[Paleo]

There were about five languages at play in the most fundamental period of the formation of the modern Scottish identity.

I was referring to traditional languages that still exist. As the question I was answering implied. I thought that would be obvious.

there were areas of Scotland that never spoke Gaelic, and others that went straight from Welsh to English speaking. In the North, the Norse turned Gaelic and Pictish speaking areas Norse, which continued in the far north until very recently, while in the west they all began to speak Gaelic and still do.

Never denied this.

It's terrible that Norn and Welsh have so slipped out of public consciousness in Scotland.

Their is still some striking similarities between Scots and Scandinavia language's. As we would expect.

Unfortunately, this linguistic question has been clouded by politics, as in many other parts of the world.
They joke that a dialect becomes a 'language' as soon as it has its own army and navy...

I have no doubt that politics (especially in the UK) can divert the truth. However its seems blatantly obvious to me that Scots is a language. From around 1450 onward it was widely considered to be a language (Inglis) . Despite its common origin with Old English.

Some word's are easy to pick up, But to you non-speaker's its a struggle, and even for Scots who are not accustomed to reading in the dialect.


The Twa Corbies

In ahint yon auld fail dyke,
A wit thare ligs a new slain knicht;
An naebody kens that he ligs thare,
But his hawk, his hoond an leddy fair.

His hoond is tae the huntin gane,
His hawk tae fesh the wild-foul hame,
His leddy's taen anither mate,
Sae we mey mak oor denner sweet.

Ye'll sit on his white hause-bane,
An A'll pyke oot his bonny blue een;
Wi ae lock o his gowden hair
we'll theik oor nest whan it growes bare.

Mony ane for him maks mane,
But nane sall ken whaur he is gane;
Ower his white banes, whan thay are bare,
The wind sall blaw for ivermair.