Did you know that there are four main languages in Scotland?

According to the Scottish Government, there are over 150 languages spoken in the country. But four are the most common. English is the primary language spoken, but three others are promoted on a governmental level: Scottish Gaelic, Scots, and British Sign Language. 

Many have heard about Gaelic, and the presence of Sign Language is no great surprise, but Scots is lesser-known. Hearing it spoken, it can be misinterpreted as a dialect or manner of speaking by Scottish people that is hard to understand. In reality, it is a different language altogether. Scots shares some common words and sounds with modern English, but it branched off from Middle English on the Germanic language tree. 

Because of its close relation to English, some English speakers can understand large amounts of Scots when it is spoken, but reproducing it is another story. While it may sound familiar and make sense to us grammatically, Scots has a whole unique vocabulary that English speakers would be unable to define if asked.

I learned a lot about Scots during my time in Scotland (even bringing home a Scots edition of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone), but I was introduced to the language through poet and Scots advocate Len Pennie. She’s found on Instagram at @misspunnypennie, where she posts Scots words of the day to raise awareness for the language and its place in Scottish culture.  Her account is a great place to get an introduction to the language from a native speaker.  

Sources:

“Languages.” The Scottish Government, https://www.gov.scot/policies/languages/

“Scots.” The Scottish Government, https://www.gov.scot/policies/languages/scots/