August 6th 2024.
Language is a powerful tool, it allows us to express ourselves and shape our own unique identities. As speakers, we have the power to change, adapt, and innovate the language we use. As long as enough people understand us, we can use words however we want. Our language tells a story about who we are and how we communicate with others, it becomes a part of our identity and reflects our world.
However, it's not as simple as just using language however we please. We must also consider the social attitudes towards certain languages, their usefulness, and the authority they hold. There are various reasons why people speak a particular language, dialect, or use specific slang. We often adapt our manner of speaking depending on who we're talking to, and linguists refer to this as "code switching." Scotland, in particular, has a rich linguistic landscape, with three indigenous languages: Scottish Gaelic, Scots, and English.
Both Scottish Gaelic and Scots are recognized by the UK government and European Union as belonging to the European Charter for Minority and Regional Languages, while English remains the official language. However, before this recognition, society stigmatized these languages, and people were pressured to only speak "proper" English in public. As a result, these languages struggled to maintain their speaker numbers, as those who spoke them were ridiculed. Scots, in particular, has a fascinating history, with a strong tradition of oral and written literature that continues to thrive today. However, due to a lack of standardization, its written form is mainly used for specific purposes. But this lack of standardization also allows for more creativity in the language, resulting in a colorful array of proverbs, poetry, and stories.
The Scots language is an umbrella term for a sister language of English, made up of various dialects on a linguistic continuum. Both English and Scots come from the Anglic branch of the West Germanic language family. On one end of the Scots continuum, you have Scottish Standard English, and on the other, broad Scots, with a wide variety of grammar features and vocabulary, depending on the region or even the profession of the speaker. While the 2011 census recorded 1.5 million speakers of Scots, linguist Robert McColl Millar believes there could be as many as two million speakers, as the lines of what counts as Scots are blurred. The language first arrived in the Lowlands of Scotland in the seventh to twelfth centuries through contact with Northumbrian Old English. Over time, it spread throughout the country and was influenced by other languages such as Gaelic and Scandinavian. Each region has its own unique flavor of Scots, defined by local linguistic features that reflect daily life in those communities.
Attitudes towards Scots are changing, with organizations like Creative Scotland and the Scottish government making efforts to change social attitudes and create more opportunities for Scots to be used outside of the home. Scots has even been added to the Scottish Curriculum of Excellence, and a new Scots language award has been introduced. Among the many varieties of Scots is Doric, sometimes referred to as the fourth regional language, with rumors that it was even spoken by Queen Elizabeth II and heavily influenced by Scandinavian languages. Its home is in the North East of Scotland and has unique linguistic features, such as replacing "wh" with "f" in question words, so "how," "what," "where," and "when" become "foo," "fit," "far," and "fan." There are also many contemporary examples of written Doric, which may be challenging for English speakers to read if they're not used to hearing the language. However, the good news is that Doric literature is thriving, with poets, writers, and translators making their mark, such as Sheena Blackhall and Shane Strachan. Brian Peter Innes' new book, "Doric for abidy twa," is a sequel to his first collection of stories that reminisce about his childhood in Kemnay village, Aberdeenshire. The book recounts funny anecdotes and mischief from the author's school days, as well as sharing local delicacies and differences between "mealie" and "white" puddings. Although written entirely in Doric, anyone can give it a try, as Brian has included a glossary of Doric words at the back of the book. He also encourages readers to write down the words they learned, words he could have used, and their favorite Doric words and their meanings, contributing to the malleability of language and Scots.
It's contributions like Brian's that help change attitudes towards Doric and allow stories to be told in the language that is close to the heart for individuals from those communities. They show us that minority languages are just as important as official ones. And despite not having an official orthographic system, Doric and Scots seem to be doing just fine. The lack of standardization allows for more personal and creative use of the language. It's not just about being Scottish; it allows us to be individuals and express ourselves truly. The idea that language can remain the same and not change is just a pipe dream. With around 800 to 1,000 words being added to the English dictionary every year, we all contribute to and shape our language, passing down a communal narrative to those who come after us. So let's continue to embrace and celebrate the diversity and richness of language in all its forms.
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