Do people in Scotland have their own language or do they just have an accent???

Question

I've always wondered about this...

Answer 1

'Scots' is a language not an accent. It's been referred to as a language in many books over the past few centuries. It is commonly accepted as being a language in Scotland although other nations may not see it that way. Have you ever heard a Scot speak full Scots? You won't have much chance of understanding at least half of it. Even English neighbours don't understand quite a few words. Anyway its the Scottish language and if they accept it as a separate language from English then no other nations opinion counts.

Answer 2

I'm Scottish.... Scotland does have its own language - Gaelic - but this is only spoken on a day-to-day basis in rather remote areas of the Highlands. It is, unfortunately, believed to be dying out. There are no other official languages but we have our own spin on English which is English but sometimes uses words not found outside Scotland. Also, different cities have different accents and dialects, for example Glaswegians sound different from Edinburghers. Hope this is a help tae ye!

Answer 3

Scotland is a land of diverse linguistic and cultural heritage. Various languages spoken there over the years fall into two general categories; Germanic languages]] and Celtic languages. The classification of the Pictish language remains controversial, but it is generally assumed to be another Celtic language. Today, the primary languages spoken are Scots, Scottish Gaelic, and Scottish English.

Answer 4

There is a language called Gaelic, but most speak a form of English, with a fairly inpenetrable accent.

Answer 5

There are two languages in Scotland besides English - Scots and Gaelic. Scots actually sounds something like English...at least to my ears.

Answer 6

They have three languages:

1. English
2. Gaelic, closely related to Irish
3. Scots (Lallans), closely related to English.

Answer 7

they did along time ago like the middle ages and dark era but know they speak english with an accent but the accent is from the Old speak also known as isolated transit

Answer 8

Yes we have, just like the Irish, we speak Gaelic, but because of the English invasion it became illegal to speak it, so it almost became extinct, most people on the Scottish Islands still speak it because the English didn't get that far. We have many TV programmes in Gaelic.

Answer 9

Official language(s) English, Gaelic, Scots


Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) is a member of the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages. This branch includes also the Irish and Manx languages. It is distinct from the Brythonic branch, which includes Welsh, Cornish, and Breton. Scottish, Manx and Irish Gaelic are all descended from Old Irish. The language is often described as Scottish Gaelic, Scots Gaelic, or Gàidhlig to avoid confusion with the other two Goidelic languages. Outside of Scotland, it is occasionally also called Scottish or Scots, a usage dating back over 1,500 years, for example Old English Scottas. This usage is uncommon in Scotland because since the 16th century the word Scots has by-and-large been used to describe (Lowland) Scots, which developed from the northern form of early Middle English

Scots refers to the Anglic varieties spoken in parts of Scotland. In Scotland it is sometimes called Lowland Scots to distinguish it from Scottish Gaelic spoken by some in the Highlands and Islands (especially the Hebrides). Scots is also spoken in parts of Northern Ireland and border areas of the Republic of Ireland, where it is known in official circles as Ulster Scots or Ullans.

Since there are no universally accepted criteria for distinguishing languages from dialects, scholars and other interested parties often disagree about the linguistic, historical and social status of Scots. Although a number of paradigms for distinguishing between languages and dialects do exist these often render contradictory results.Consequently Scots has, on the one hand, been traditionally regarded as one of the ancient dialects of English but with its own ancient and distinct dialects. Scots has often been treated as part of English as spoken in Scotland but differs significantly from the Standard Scottish English taught in schools. On the other hand, it has been regarded as a distinct Germanic language the way Swedish is distinct from Danish. Its subordination to Anglo-English has also been compared to the subordination of Frisian to Dutch in the Netherlands. Thus Scots can be interpreted as a collective term for the dialects of English spoken or originating in Scotland, or it can be interpreted as the autochthonous language of Lowland Scotland.Native speakers in Scotland and Ireland usually refer to their idiom as (braid) Scots (Eng: Broad Scots) or use a dialect name such as the Doric or the Buchan Claik. The old fashioned Scotch occurs occasionally, especially in Ireland. Some literary forms are often referred to as Lallans

Answer 10

To them, you're the one with the accent!