Hullo Everyone!

I’ve been reading this series called 44 Scotland Street by Alexander McCall Smith, and it is set in Edinburgh, Scotland. I’d definitely recommend the books for the story, but an interesting aspect about the series is that the characters occasionally use Scots dialect in the dialogue. It’s a Germanic language that is mixed with Gaelic today due to the mixing of languages. It’s very similar to English in many ways, but lots of words are different. They mostly sound similar to English. I was inspired to look up words in Scots and have had a lot of fun making sentences.

(by the way, “Help ma Boab” means “Goodness Gracious!”)

In this article, I will be sharing some Scots words and phrases that you all can use if you ever go to Scotland or if you come across a Scottish person and really want to impress them.

Phrases:

Hullo/Hallo……Hello

See ye efter……Goodbye

Ah dinnae underston…….I don’t understand

Hou?……Why?

Och aye the noo!……..Well then!

Words:

Ah……I

Auld……old

Aw……..all

Bairn…….child

Breeks…….trousers

Canny…….careful

Clarty……dirty

Coorie Doon……cuddle down (to go to sleep)

Corrie-Fisted…….left handed

Dae……do

Dominie…….schoolmaster (this would be Ms. Spencer or Ms. Pinckney)

Doon…….down

Drookit……soaking wet

Dunderheid…….idiot

Eechie Ochie……neither here nor there

Fae……from

Feart……afraid

Frein…….friend

Fur……for

Girn……complain

Greet……cry

Hame…….home

Havers!……..Nonsense!

Howk……to dig

Jalouse……guess

Ken…….to know

Lassie…..girl

Loon…..boy

Neep……turnip

Noo…….now

Scratcher…….bed

Snell……cold weather

Thon……that

Toty……tiny

Verra…….very

Wheen…..lot

Sayings (these are old, but still ring true)

A wee thing amuses the bairns…..Simple people are amused by simple things

Guid things come in sma bulk…..Just because something is small doesn’t mean it’s of little value

It taks a lang spoon tae sup wi’ the de’il…..Keep your distance when dealing with bad things

It’s a sair fecht…..That’s too bad, that’s life

Tak tent o time ere time taks tent of thee….Take care of how you spend your time before you eventually die

Sentences that I created for fun… they probably don’t have the best grammar but I tried 🙂

Whaur is ma frein?………Where is my friend?

A am puggled ere A coorie doon………I am tired before I go to sleep.

Ah bet ye dinnae ken thae……..I bet you didn’t know that.

Whit are ye dae’n ben the sgaoileadh Jimmy?…..What are you doing in the mall Jimmy?

So there is a brief introduction of Scots for you all. I would definitely recommend 44 Scotland Street and all of its sequels. Have a great long weekend!

Slàinte!!