The Pocket Guide to Scottish Words [antikvár]

INTRODUCTION 'v 'i'' i I «, \ ' \ I } TWE purpose of this little book is to help tourists ; ' and newcomers to Scotland to understand some ^ ;, • of the unfamiliar words, phrases and names they may meet north of the Border. It includes Scots words, Gaelic words, place-name elements (where necessary referring back to the Scots and Gaelic sections), personal names and a list of Scottish food and drink terms. In a book of this size it is not possible to give more than a very brief introduction to all these subjects, but for those who would like to know more, a book list is provided on p. 88. Many people find the language situation in Scotland confusing. What is the Scots language? Who speaks Scotland's other language, Gaelic? Briefly, the Scots language comes from the same source as English, ie Old English, being descended from a Northern form of it. During the Middle Ages it spread from its original home in south-east Scotland to the south-west and right up the east coast. It diverged from the language south of the Border and by 1500 it was well on the way to becoming a separate language. Since the 16th century, mainly due to certain historical events, it has once more drawn closer to Southern varieties of English, but still retains many distinctive features. (For further information, see The Concise Scots Dictionary, Introduction, section 1.)