Definition:
A broad term for the varieties of the English language spoken in Scotland.
Scottish English (SE) is customarily distinguished from Scots, which is regarded by some linguists as a dialect of English and by others as a language in its own right. (Altogether separate is Gaelic, the English name for the Celtic language of Scotland, now spoken by just over one percent of the population.)
See also: Notes on English as a Global Language.
Examples and Observations:
- "Our language should be called Scottish. . . .
"When Alex Salmond stands up at Holyrood and announces that, henceforth, Scottish is the official language, it will not be a case of Eck Saumon staunin' up tae mac siccar we pit fyrst the Scots leid. God bless those who wish to preserve the auld braid Scots tung, but that is not how we speak or write. . . .
"Our language will be the modern Scottish, which at times will look and sound very like English but is different. . . .
"We may have to set up a Scottish Language Commission to rule on important issues. This commission is gonnae huv to decide, for instance, if youse is the plural of you."
(Tom Shields, "How Should We Huv tae Speak English When We're No?" The Herald [Glasgow], Mar. 22, 2009) - "With its own history, dialects, and literature, Scots is something more than a dialect yet something less than a full-fledged language. . . . Scots is the substratum of general English in Scotland; most Scots use mixed varieties, and 'full' traditional Scots is now spoken by only a few rural people . . .. Nonetheless, despite stigmatization in school, neglect by officialdom, and marginalization in the media, people of all backgrounds since the 16c insisted in regarding the guid Scots tongue as their national language, and it continues to play an important part in their awareness of their national identity."
(A.J. Aitken, "Scots." The Oxford Companion to the English Language, ed. by Tom McArthur, 1992)
