Scotland Languages: Difference between revisions

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Most records used in Scottish research are in English, with some in the closely related Scots language. They may, however, be difficult to read because of unique Scottish words, [[Latin_Genealogical_Word_List|Latin words]], or different handwriting styles.
|Country=Scotland
|Name=Scotland
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|Topic Type=Background
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|Rating=Standardized
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==Description==
Occasionally records will also contain Gaelic, often written in English phonetics. In the medieval documents about Orkney and Shetland, you may also encounter Norn, an early form of Norwegian.
There are three officially recognized languages spoken in Scotland <ref>Wikipedia contributors, "Scotland," in ''Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia'', https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotland#:~:text=Scotland%20has%20three%20officially%20recognised%20languages, accessed 18 May 2023.</ref>
* '''English''' - a variety of English called '''Scottish Standard English'''. May have been influenced by Scots.
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scots_language '''Scots'''] - per the 2011 census, 63% of the population have no skills in Scots. [https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Scotland_Languages#:~:text=Details%20on%20Scots%20language ''Further information on Scots Language'']
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_Gaelic '''Scottish Gaelic'''] - most spoken in the Western Isles by the majority of the population. [https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Scotland_Languages#:~:text=Details%20on%20Scottish%20Gaelic ''Further information on Scottish Gaelic'']


Other languages spoken include
=== Unique Scottish Words  ===
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highland_English '''Highland English'''] - a variety of Scottish English
Some words you will see in Scottish records are not used in English.


Most records used in Scottish research are in English, with older ones in the closely related Scots language. They may, however, be difficult to read because of unique Scottish words or different handwriting styles. Occasionally records will also contain Gaelic, often written in English phonetics. In medieval documents about Orkney and Shetland, you may also encounter Norn, an early form of Norwegian.
The English past participle -ed, is usually represented by -it in Scots. Older documents may also form the plural or possessive in -is. The English "wh" is often rendered as "quh" in old Scots.


Some Scottish records may contain Latin. Knowing some Latin will help you read these records.
The following list contains some of the more commonly used Scottish words:


==Word List(s)==
{|
* MacRisnidh, Steafan. ''Gaelic gold : a learner's dictionary/phrasebook.'' Glasgow: Lexus Ltd, 2017. '''''Available at:''''' [https://worldcat.org/title/986692684 WorldCat].
|-
* Stevenson, James A. C. and Iseabail Macleod. ''Scoor-oot : a dictionary of Scots words and phrases in current use.'' London: Bloomsbury Academic, 2015. '''''Available at:''''' [https://worldcat.org/title/927168835 WorldCat].
|  
* [https://omniglot.com/language/phrases/scots.php#:~:text=Useful%20Scots%20phrases Useful Scots phrases] - Omniglot
Scottish Words
* [https://theculturetrip.com/europe/united-kingdom/scotland/articles/30-phrases-and-words-youll-only-hear-in-edinburgh-and-scotland/#:~:text=Scottish%20Phrases Scottish Phrases] - Culture Trip
* [https://owlcation.com/humanities/Scots-Gaelic-words-and-phrases#:~:text=25%20Useful%20Phrases%20and%20Vocabulary%20in%20Scottish%20Gaelic 25 Useful Phrases and Vocabulary in Scottish Gaelic] - Owlcation
* [https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Scottish_Gaelic_phrasebook#:~:text=Scottish%20Gaelic%20phrasebook Scottish Gaelic phrasebook] - WikiVoyage
* [https://omniglot.com/language/phrases/gaelic.php#:~:text=Useful%20Scottish%20Gaelic%20phrases Useful Scottish Gaelic phrases] - Omniglot
* [https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Scotland_Languages#:~:text=Some%20words%20you%20will%20see%20in%20Scottish%20records Unique Scottish Words]
* [[Latin Genealogical Word List|Latin Genealogical Word List]]
* [https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Scotland_Languages#:~:text=Scottish%20Records%20Abbreviations ''List of Records Abbreviations in Scottish'']
 
==Alphabet and Pronunciation==
'''Alphabet'''
* [https://omniglot.com/writing/scots.htm#:~:text=Scots%20alphabet Scots alphabet] - Omniglot
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scots_language#:~:text=The%20vowel%20system%20of%20Modern%20Scots Scots Vowels and Consonants] - Wikipedia
* [https://omniglot.com/writing/gaelic.htm#:~:text=Scottish%20Gaelic%20alphabet Scottish Gaelic alphabet] - Omniglot
* [https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Scotland_Languages#:~:text=Gaelic%20Alphabet%20and%20pronunciation%20explanation ''Gaelic Alphabet & Pronunciation details'']
* [https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Scotland_Languages#:~:text=The%20old%20letter%20Yogh ''Explanation about Yogh (old letter)'']
 
'''Pronunciation'''
* Dieckhoff, Henry Cyril. ''A pronouncing dictionary of Scottish Gaelic.'' Glasgow: Gairm, 1992. '''''Available at:''''' [https://worldcat.org/title/59961352 WorldCat].
* Robinson, Christine and Carol Ann Crawford. ''Scotspeak : a guide to the pronunciation of modern urban Scots.'' Edinburgh: Luath Press, 2011. '''''Available at:''''' [https://worldcat.org/title/754192919 WorldCat].
* [https://omniglot.com/writing/scots.htm#:~:text=Scots%20pronunciation Scots pronunciation] - Omniglot
* [https://forvo.com/languages/sco/ Scots pronunciation dictionary] - Forvo
* [https://omniglot.com/writing/gaelic.htm#:~:text=Pronunciation Scottish Gaelic Pronunciation] - Omniglot
* [https://forvo.com/languages/gd/ Scottish Gaelic pronunciation dictionary] - Forvo
 
==Language Aids and Dictionaries==
 
'''Dictionaries'''
* Speitel, Pauline Cairns. ''Concise Scots dictionary.'' Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2017. '''''Available at:''''' [https://worldcat.org/title/1013179107 WorldCat].
* ''Scots dictionary.'' Glasgow: HarperCollins Publishers, 2018. '''''Available at:''''' [https://worldcat.org/title/1077272738 WorldCat].
* Watson, Angus. ''The essential English-Gaelic dictionary.'' Edinburgh: Birlinn, 2005. '''''Available at:''''' [https://worldcat.org/title/56436731 WorldCat].
* Robertson, Boyd and Ian MacDonald. ''Essential Gaelic dictionary.'' London: Hodder Education, 2010. '''''Available at:''''' [https://worldcat.org/title/811402877 WorldCat].
* Gutt-Mostowy, Jan, Miroslaw Lipiński, and Tadeusz Gromada. ''Highlander Polish-English/English-Highlander Polish dictionary.'' New York: Hippocrene Books, 1995. '''''Available at:''''' [https://worldcat.org/title/33346264 WorldCat].
* Craigie, William A. ''A dictionary of the older Scottish tongue : from the twelfth century to the end of the seventeenth.'' Chicago, London: Oxford University Press, 2002. '''''Available at:''''' [https://worldcat.org/title/770465 WorldCat].
* Dwelly, Edward. ''The illustrated Gaelic-English dictionary.'' Glasgow: Akerbeltz, 2011. '''''Available at:''''' [https://worldcat.org/title/793814319 WorldCat].
* Graham, William. ''The Scots word book - Third revised edition.'' Edinburgh: Ramsay Head Press, 1980. '''''Available at:''''' [URL WorldCat].
* Warrack, Alexander. ''A Scot's dialect dictionary.'' London: W. & R. Chambers, Limited, 1911. '''''Available at:''''' [https://worldcat.org/title/997604 WorldCat].
* Robinson, Mairi. ''Concise Scots dictionary.'' Edinburgh: Polygon, 1999. '''''Available at:''''' [https://worldcat.org/title/43969144 WorldCat].
 
'''Online Dictionaries'''
* [https://dsl.ac.uk/ Dictionaries of the Scots Language] - DSL
* [https://glosbe.com/en/sco Dictionary English - Scots] - Glosbe
* [https://glosbe.com/en/gd Dictionary English - Scottish Gaelic] - Glosbe
* [http://www.faclair.ac.uk/ Dictionary of the Scottish Gaelic Language] at Faclair na Gàidhlig — index & images ($)
* [https://www.dwelly.info/ Gaelic Dictionary] - Dwelly
* [https://www3.smo.uhi.ac.uk/gaidhlig/faclair/sbg/lorg.php Stor Data Briathrachas] - SMO
 
'''Language Aids'''
* [https://dasg.ac.uk/corpus/ Corpas na Gàidhlig (Scottish Gaelic Documents)] at DASG — index & images ($)
* Maolalaigh, Roibeard Ó. ''Scottish Gaelic in twelve weeks.'' Edinburgh: Birlinn, 2015. '''''Available at:''''' [https://worldcat.org/title/949175258 WorldCat].
* Purves, David. ''A Scots grammar : Scots grammar and usage.'' Edinburgh: Saltire Society, 2002. '''''Available at:''''' [https://worldcat.org/title/49872271 WorldCat].
* Corbett, John and Christian Kay. ''Understanding grammar in Scotland today.'' Glasgow: Association for Scottish Literary Studies, 2009. '''''Available at:''''' [https://worldcat.org/title/434564044 WorldCat].
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_Scots#Grammar Scots Grammar] - Wikipedia
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_Gaelic_phonology_and_orthography Scottish Gaelic phonology and orthography] - Wikipedia
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_Gaelic_grammar Scottish Gaelic grammar] - Wikipedia
This is a general glossary of genealogical terms and includes terms for Scotland. Select the letter the term begins with.
 
<br>A  [[B genealogical glossary terms|B]]  [[C genealogical glossary terms|C]]  [[D genealogical glossary terms|D]]  [[E genealogical glossary terms|E]]  [[F genealogical glossary terms|F]]  [[G genealogical glossary terms|G]]  [[H genealogical glossary terms|H]]  I  [[J genealogical glossary terms|J]]  [[K genealogical glossary terms|K]]  L  M  N  O [[P -- genealogical glossary of terms| P]]  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z
 
==Additional Resources==
* [https://omniglot.com/writing/scots.htm Scots Language] - Omniglot
* [https://omniglot.com/writing/gaelic.htm Scottish Gaelic Language] - Omniglot
* [https://www3.smo.uhi.ac.uk/gaidhlig/english.html List of Gaelic resources]- SMO
* [https://www.scotslanguage.com/ Scots language Society] - Scots Language Centre
* [https://fdp.gaidhlig.scot/en/community/main-gaelic-groups/ Gaelic language groups] - Gàidhlig
* [https://gaidhligdumgal.org/information-2/ Cùrsaichean - Gaelic Courses] - gaidhligdumgal
 
'''Details on Scots language'''<br>
The Scots language is the language of the Scottish Lowlands, Caithness, and the Northern Isles (Orkney and Shetland). It is closely related to standard English, and there is a long-running, heated debate as to whether it is a dialect or a language in its own right. It is not to be confused with Gaelic, although there has been some mutual influence.
 
The Scots language goes by many different names. It is often called Broad/Braid Scots or Lowland Scots to distinguish it from Gaelic. In the northeast especially, it is often referred to as Doric. In Buchan, it is known as the Claik, and in Glasgow as the Patter. In older writings, it is often referred to as Scottis, or as Scotch, although the term "Scotch" is not liked by many Scots today.
 
Many Scots words can be found in older documents, as it was written down more frequently than Gaelic. It is common for Scots to use the diminutive, e.g. James frequently becomes Jamie, Robert becomes Rab or Rabbie etc. This is done more often than in standard English and is not frowned upon.
 
Scots has no legal status, and there are no reliable figures for how many people speak it. However, it is much more common to hear it in Scotland than Gaelic. Due to its similarity with English, there is considerable debate as to what constitutes Scots as well.
 
Spelling is not standardized now, and is often influenced by English. A notable difference from standard English is the guttural (velar fricative) in which the likes of "loch" and "nicht" would be pronounced as in German, rather than as "lock" or "nickt".
 
Many Scots words survive in Scottish place names, e.g. street names such as wynd, vennel, close, pend, port (in the sense of gate), gate (in the sense of road), and in placenames such as howe (hollow), mains (important farm), burn (small river), brae (hill or slope) etc
 
'''Details on Scottish Gaelic'''<br>
Gaelic (Gàidhlig) is a member of the Goidelic branch of the Celtic language of Scotland. It is closely related to [[Ireland Language and Languages|Irish]] and Manx, and more distantly to [[Wales Language and Languages|Welsh]], Cornish and Breton.
 
The Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005 gives some degree of recognition to Scotland's Celtic language. However, unlike [[Wales Language and Languages|Welsh]], Scottish Gaelic has been written down far less frequently, and is not taught in many schools. The language is generally associated with the Highlands, but was historically spoken in most of the Lowlands as well. Many Lowland surnames and areas have Gaelic derivations, e.g. Dundee, Stranraer etc. It was not spoken in Orkney and Shetland
 
Scottish Gaelic gives rise to many Scottish surnames, including any beginning with Mac or Mc, as well as names such as Campbell, Dewar, Menzies etc. Some of these were written down in English phonetics, e.g. MacDonald or McWhannel for MacDhomhnaill and/or were later translated e.g. Smith can translate Mac a' Ghobhainn, which is also anglicized as Gow or MacGowan. The old Scottish Gaelic naming system is extremely complex, and exists mainly in oral tradition.
 
Many personal names such as Iain (John), Malcolm, Duncan, Fiona and Morag all ultimately derive from the language too. There are other, traditional, Gaelic names which have no direct equivalents in English: Oighrig, which is normally rendered as Euphemia (Effie) or Henrietta (Etta) (formerly also as Henny or even as Harriet), or, Diorbhal, which is "matched" with Dorothy, simply on the basis of a certain similarity in spelling; Gormul, for which there is nothing similar in English, and it is rendered as 'Gormelia' or even 'Dorothy'; Beathag, which is "matched" with Becky (&gt; Rebecca) and even Betsy, or Sophie.
 
The most common class of Gaelic surnames are, of course, those beginning with ''mac'' (Gaelic for ''son''), such as ''MacGillEathain'' (MacLean). The female form is ''nic'' (Gaelic for ''daughter''), so Catherine MacPhee is properly called in Gaelic, ''Caitrìona Nic a' Phì''. [Strictly, "nic" is a contraction of the Gaelic phrase "nighean mhic", meaning "daughter of the son", thus Nic Dhomhnuill, really means "daughter of MacDonald" rather than "daughter of Donald".] Although there is a common misconception that "mac" means "son of", the "of" part actually comes from the genitive form of the patronymic that follows the prefix "Mac", e.g., in the case of MacNéill, Néill (of Neil) is the genitive form of Niall (Neil).
 
Several colours give rise to common Scottish surnames: ''bàn'' (Bain – white), ''ruadh'' (Roy – red), ''dubh'' (Dow – black), ''donn'' (Dunn – brown), ''buidhe'' (Bowie – yellow).


'''Unique Scottish Words'''<br>
| English&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Translation  
Some words you will see in Scottish records are not used in standard English. Please note that there is often considerable variation in spelling. The English past participle -ed, is usually represented by -it in Scots. Older documents may also form the plural or possessive in -is. The English "wh" is often rendered as "quh" in old Scots, and as "f" in northeast Scots (Doric).
| '''A&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;'''  
 
The following list contains some Scottish words more commonly used in documents:
 
{| class="wikitable" style="width:45%"
|-
! style="width:25%" |Scottish Words
! English Translation  
|-
| '''A'''
| '''A'''
| '''A'''
|-
|-
| Aberdonian
| afore/afoir
| of Aberdeen
|-
| ae
| "A" (indefinite article), occasionally "of"
|-
| afore/afoir  
| before
| before
|-
| airt
| direction (Gaelic: àird)
|-
| aisle
| as well as being an aisle in a church, this can also refer to a family grave, often enclosed in a small building or fence.
|-
|-
| aith  
| aith  
| oath
| oath
|-
| allenarly
| solely
|-
|-
| ane  
| ane  
| one, an
| one, an
|-
|-
| anent  
| anent
| about, concerning
| about, concerning
|-
| auld, ald, eld
| old
|-
|-
| '''B'''  
| '''B'''  
Line 173: Line 38:
|-
|-
| bairnis  
| bairnis  
| children, or children's
| baby’s
|-
| Bairn's Pairt
| The right of the issue (including adult issue) to not less than a defined share of the value of the moveable estate of the deceased
|-
|-
| baptist  
| baptist  
| baptized
| baptized
|-
| bard
| poet (Gaelic: bàrd)
|-
| bastle, bastill house
| a fortified house in the Borders (from French bastille)
|-
|-
| beand  
| beand  
Line 195: Line 51:
| befeir  
| befeir  
| before
| before
|-
| Borderer
| someone living near the border with England.
|-
| brither
| brother
|-
|-
| burgh  
| burgh  
| borough, town with special status
| borough, town
|-
|-
| burn
| by
| small river or large stream (common in place names)
| near somewhere
|-
| by  
| near somewhere (sometimes found in addresses)
|-
|-
| '''C'''  
| '''C'''  
| '''C'''
| '''C'''
|-
| caird
| a member of the Scottish travelling folk (Gaelic: ceàrd, meaning artisan)
|-
| Caledonian
| of Scotland
|-
|-
| callit  
| callit  
| called
| called
|-
| calps
| rents (Gaelic: calpa)
|-
| cateran
| a Highland raider (Gaelic: ceatharnach)
|-
| clachan
| village (usually with a church; Gaelic: clachan)
|-
| clan
| A family or kinship group. Mostly in the Highlands and Border area. (Gaelic: clann, meaning children)
|-
| Clearances, the Clearances
| Forced eviction from homes. The Highland Clearances are the best known.
|-
| close
| a collection of apartments
|-
|-
| compear  
| compear  
| appear before a court
| appeared
|-
| con
| versus, against (abbreviation of "contra"); abbreviation of constituted
|-
| cott
| cottage or hut
|-
| cottar
| tenant farmer
|-
| Covenanter
| Signatory of the Scottish Covenant, a religious protest against the king. Mostly found in southern Scotland.
|-
|-
| croft  
| croft
| small agricultural holding worked by crofters.
| small agricultural holding
|-
|-
| '''D'''  
| '''D'''  
| '''D'''
| '''D'''
|-
|-
| dale
| defunct
| valley in southern Scotland. Dalesmen is an old name for Borderers
|-
| debitor
| debtor
|-
| defender
| defendant in court. (The word "defendant" is not used in Scottish courts.)
|-
| defuncti, defunct
| the deceased
| the deceased
|-
|-
| delict  
| delict
| torts
| torts
|-
|-
Line 280: Line 82:
| deponed (witness)
| deponed (witness)
|-
|-
| do.
| do  
| abbreviation for ditto
| ditto
|-
|-
| dochter  
| dochter
| daughter
| daughter
|-
|-
| docquet  
| docquet
| authenticating signature on a deed
| authenticating signature on a deed  
|-
|-
| doits  
| doits  
| money (coins)
| money (coins)
|-
| Dundonian
| of Dundee
|-
|-
| '''E'''  
| '''E'''  
| '''E'''
| '''E'''
|-
|-
| easter
| Erse, Erisch
| east, eastern
| meaning Irish, referring to Gaelic culture or language
|-
|eik
|a codicil, or formal addition to a will
|-
| eld
| Old, found in compounds like eldfader (grandfather)
|-
|-
| Episcopalian
| executor
| Member of the Scottish Episcopal Church (Anglican). Nickname "Pisky" (sometimes seen as offensive)
| a person who is empowered by the deceased to carry out the terms of his/her will  
|-
| Erse, Erisch
| meaning Irish, referring to Gaelic culture or language. Often considered offensive. Erischry is equivalent to "Irishry"
|-
| evite
| avoid
|-
| executor  
| a person who is empowered by the deceased to carry out the terms of his/her will
|-
|-
| '''F'''  
| '''F'''  
| '''F'''
| '''F'''
|-
|-
| fae
| fay, fayr  
| from
|-
| fay, fayr, faither
| father
| father
|-
| fermtoun
| "farm town", small village often without a church.
|-
| Fifer
| Someone from Fife
|-
| firth
| a sea inlet, fjord, estuary
|-
| folk, fowk
| folk or people. This is also used in Scotland to refer to one's family traditionally, like the American "folks". Fisherfolk would be families engaged in fisheries.
|-
| forby(e)
| besides, beyond, in addition
|-
| fower
| four
|-
| fra, frae
| from
|-
| Free Church, Free Kirk
| One of several Presbyterian groups which broke from the Church of Scotland over landlord control.
|-
| furth
| beyond (often "furth of")
|-
| '''G'''
| '''G'''
|-
| Gallovidian, Galwegian
| of Galloway in South West Scotland. Not to be confused with Galway in Ireland.
|-
| Glaswegian
| of Glasgow
|-
| glen
| valley (Gaelic: gleann; the Great Glen is the area stretching from Inverness to Fort William)
|-
| grayne
| A clan or kinship group in the Scottish Border region, and sometimes in far north of England
|-
|-
| '''H'''  
| '''H'''  
| '''H'''
| '''H'''
|-
| hae
| have
|-
| haes, hais
| has
|-
|-
| haid  
| haid  
| had
| had
|-
|-
| Hebridean
| heir portioner
| of the Hebrides (island group)
|-
| heir portioner  
| inheriting daughter
| inheriting daughter
|-
|-
Line 391: Line 121:
| '''I'''
| '''I'''
|-
|-
| ieroe  
| ieroe
| great-grandson (Gaelic: iar-ogha)
| great-grandson (Gaelic: iar-ogha)
|-
|-
Line 400: Line 130:
| '''J'''
| '''J'''
|-
|-
| Jacobite
| jeroy
| Supporter of the Stuart succession to the throne, especially Charles Edward Stuart (aka Bonnie Prince Charlie). Named for his father James Stuart.
|-
| jeroy  
| great-grandson (Gaelic: iar-ogha)
| great-grandson (Gaelic: iar-ogha)
|-
| Jus relictae/jus relicti
| The right of the surviving spouse in the movable goods of the deceased spouse. Jus relictae is the term used for a surviving wife, and jus relicti is the term used for a surviving husband.
|-
|-
| '''K'''  
| '''K'''  
Line 413: Line 137:
|-
|-
| kirk, kyrk  
| kirk, kyrk  
| church, capitalised as "the Kirk" is somwtimes a reference to the Church of Scotland, the legally established Presbyterian church.
| church
|-
|-
| kirkton, kirktoun
| kirkyird
| "church town", a village with a church
|-
| kirkyird, kirkyard, kirkyaird
| churchyard, graveyard
| churchyard, graveyard
|-
| Kist
| coffin or casket (Gaelic: ciste); also a box or chest. Someone who is "kistit" has been put in their coffin.
|-
|-
| '''L'''  
| '''L'''  
Line 430: Line 148:
| title of landholder; related to, but not equivalent to lord
| title of landholder; related to, but not equivalent to lord
|-
|-
| Lammas, Lammastide
| lammas, lammastide
| formerly 1st August, now the 28th August, corresponding to Celtic festival of Lughnasa
| formerly 1st August, now the 28th August
|-
| landward
| inland (as opposed to people living on the coast)
|-
| lass, lassie
| girl
|-
|-
| lawful  
| lawful  
| legitimate offspring
| legitimate offspring
|-
| Legitim, legitimum
| The right of the issue (offspring - including adult issue) to not less than a defined share of the value of the moveable estate of the deceased.
|-
| loch
| Usually a lake or a pond, but also a sea inlet (Gaelic: loch). A small one is known as a lochan. Very common in place names.
|-
| loon, loun
| lad or boy (usually in north east)
|-
| Lord Lyon
| So called "King of Arms", the chief herald in Scotland, decides succession to chiefdoms and approves coats of arms.
|-
| luvebairn
| lovechild, one born out of wedlock, a bastard in the old sense.
|-
|-
| '''M'''  
| '''M'''  
| '''M'''
| '''M'''
|-
|-
| M'
| miln, myln
| An archaic form of Mc, found in surnames, from the Gaelic Mac meaning son. "Mc, Mc, M'c, and Mic".
| mill
|-
|-
| maid bairn  
| maid bairn  
Line 469: Line 166:
| boy child
| boy child
|-
|-
| mains  
| mains
| the main farm of an estate, known as the home farm in England
| the main farm of an estate, known as the home farm in England
|-
|-
| mairrit, marriet (upon)
| manrent
| married (to)
|-
| manrent  
| a type of contract, usually military in nature and involving Scottish clans
| a type of contract, usually military in nature and involving Scottish clans
|-
| March, Mairch
| A border area with England. The West March was an area in Dumfriesshire for example.
|-
| miln, myln
| mill
|-
| mind
| remember or recollect
|-
| mither
| mother
|-
| Moravian
| to do with Moray (north east Scotland)
|-
| mormaer
| type of earl in mediaeval Scotland (Gaelic: Mòr-mhaor)
|-
|-
| mortcloth  
| mortcloth  
| cloth covering body during burial ceremony
| cloth covering body during burial ceremony
|-
| mortsafe
| a building in a graveyard for locking up bodies to preserve them from graverobbers prior to burial.
|-
|-
| moy, moyr  
| moy, moyr  
| mother
| mother
|-
| muir
| moorland, upland grazing. A muirman was someone who lived in such a place.
|-
|-
| '''N'''  
| '''N'''  
| '''N'''
| '''N'''
|-
| narrate
| tell, relate (not just a story)
|-
|-
| natural  
| natural  
| often refers to illegitimate off-spring but could be used for legitimate offspring as well
| often refers to illegitimate off-spring but could be used for legitimate offspring as well
|-
|-
| nether
| nevoy  
| lower, often found in farm names to distinguish it from the "upper" farm of the same name nearby.
|-
| nevoy, nephoy
| nephew
| nephew
|-
|-
Line 526: Line 190:
| usually unbaptized child
| usually unbaptized child
|-
|-
| Nic
| not proven, guilty not proven
| Daughter of. Traditionally the feminine form of Mac, but can occasionally be found in non-Gaelic language records as Nik etc.
|-
| not proven, guilty not proven  
| a unique Scottish verdict which confirms the person as neither guilty, nor innocent
| a unique Scottish verdict which confirms the person as neither guilty, nor innocent
|-
|-
Line 535: Line 196:
| '''O'''
| '''O'''
|-
|-
| o, o'
| oe, oy
| of, more often to do with a location rather than a grandson as in Ireland.
| grandson
|-
| oe, oy  
| grandson (Gaelic: ogha)
|-
| Orcadian
| of the Orkney Islands
|-
| outwith
| outside
|-
|-
| '''P'''  
| '''P'''  
| '''P'''
| '''P'''
|-
|-
| Papist, Pape
| per stipes
| Roman Catholic (note that this term is considered offensive, but does turn up in some old documents)
|-
| part with child
| miscarry
|-
| per stipes  
| a clause in a will saying that the grandchildren can inherit if the children predecease them
| a clause in a will saying that the grandchildren can inherit if the children predecease them
|-
| plead, pled
| pleaded
|-
|-
| pns  
| pns  
Line 568: Line 211:
| produced
| produced
|-
|-
| provost  
| provost
| used instead of "mayor" in Scotland as in Lord Provost
| used instead of "mayor" in Scotland
|-
|-
| putit  
| putit  
| presented
| presented
|-
|-
| puir, pwir  
| pwir  
| poor
| poor
|-
|-
Line 591: Line 234:
| quairfoir  
| quairfoir  
| wherefore
| wherefore
|-
|  quine
| girl (esp in north east)
|-
|-
| '''R'''  
| '''R'''  
Line 600: Line 240:
| raiefeit  
| raiefeit  
| ratified
| ratified
|-
| reiver
| Border raider.
|-
|-
| relict  
| relict  
Line 613: Line 250:
| '''S'''
| '''S'''
|-
|-
| Sasine
| schew  
| A Scots law term for the delivery of feudal property, typically land. The Register of Sasines is a government office.
|-
| schew, schaw, shaw
| show
| show
|-
| screivit
| written
|-
|-
| seik  
| seik  
| sick
| sick
|-
| seivin
| seven
|-
| sept
| a dependent family within a clan
|-
| shennachie, shenchie
| an oral historian, often a traditional genealogist (Gaelic: seanchaidh; the "ch" is guttural)
|-
| sic
| such
|-
| siccan
| such, of a type already mentioned
|-
|-
| siclike, sicklike, syklyk  
| siclike, sicklike, syklyk  
| likewise
| likewise
|-
| sicna
| such, of a type already mentioned
|-
| solatium
| compensation for the injury or loss of a relative
|-
|-
| stillborn  
| stillborn  
| born and died same day, born dead
| born and died same day
|-
| strath
| wide river valley (often found in place names; Gaelic: srath)
|-
|-
| '''T'''  
| '''T'''  
| '''T'''
| '''T'''
|-
|-
| tack  
| tack
| yearly rent paid to a Highland landlord (Gaelic: "taic")
| yearly rent paid to a Highland landlord (Gaelic: "taic")
|-
|-
| tacksman  
| tacksman  
| member of the Highland middle class, paying a tack to the laird, and often subletting
| member of the Highland middle class, paying a tack to the laird, and often subletting
|-
| tenement
| a type of flat or apartment found in large Scottish cities
|-
| Tinker, Tink
| A member of tbe Scottish Travellers (distinct from the Romany). This name is seen as offensive nowadays.
|-
| tocher
| dowry (Gaelic: "tachartas")
|-
| toun, toon
| town
|-
| twa, twae
| two
|-
|-
| '''U'''  
| '''U'''  
| '''U'''
| '''U'''
|-
|-
| udal  
| udal
| relating to traditional Norse law in the Northern Isles (Orkney and Shetland)
| relating to traditional Norse law in the Northern Isles (Orkney and Shetland)
|-
|-
| udal law  
| udal law
| the remnant legal system of the Northern Isles, similar to odelsrett
| the remnant legal system of the Northern Isles, similar to odelsrett
|-
|-
| udal tenure  
| udal tenure
| tenure under udal law
| tenure under udal law
|-
|-
| unquhile, umquil  
| unquhile, umquil  
| late, former, deceased
| late, former, deceased
|-
| unthank
| a property on which no rent was paid. This was sometimes so tenant could improve the land.
|-
|-
| '''V'''  
| '''V'''  
Line 708: Line 297:
| '''W'''  
| '''W'''  
| '''W'''
| '''W'''
|-
| water, watter
| a medium sized river (common in place names) or just water
|-
| wester
| west, western
|-
| wha
| who
|-
| whaur
| where
|-
| whilk
| which
|-
| wife, wifie, wyfe
| woman - note that this does not always refer to a spouse in traditional usage.
|-
|-
| wreitting  
| wreitting  
Line 732: Line 303:
| wmquil, umquil  
| wmquil, umquil  
| now deceased
| now deceased
|-
| wyld Scottis
| Wild Scots, i.e. found in remote areas, and frequently Gaelic speaking.
|-
| '''Y'''
| '''Y'''
|-
| Yuill, Yule
| Christmas
|-
| '''Z'''
| '''Z'''
|-
| Zetland
| Shetland, Zetlander - of Shetland
|-
|}
|}


'''Gaelic Alphabet and pronunciation explanation'''<br>
=== Scottish Dictionaries  ===
Though the Scottish Gaelic and English alphabets are very similar, each has some letters not used in the other. The letters j, k, q, v, w, y, x and z are not used in the Gaelic language except in some 'adopted' words and foreign names. Gaelic also uses the grave accent above vowels, and until recently used the acute accent over some of them as well.
 
To find definitions for other words that are unfamiliar to you, you can use one of several Scottish dictionaries:


Putting an "h" after a consonant changes its sound (much like in certain English combinations) and serves a grammatical function:
Craigie, Sir William A. ''A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue, from the Twelfth Century to the End of the Seventeenth''. Chicago, Illinois: University of Chicago Press, 1937-. (Family History Library[http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titlehitlist&columns=*%2C0%2C0&callno=403.41+Sco87c book 403.41 Sco87c.)]
*bh/mh (a v or w sound)
*ch (a guttural sound as in German - known as the velar fricative.)
*dh/gh
**dhe/ghe-, dhi/ghi-, -idh  (like a y)
**dha-/gha-, dho-/gho-, dhu/ghu-, -adh, -odh (guttural sound, similar to g)
*fh (silent, occasionally "h")
*ph (f as in English)
*sh, th (an h sound)


Spelling is similar to Irish, although some combinations such as "ae" and "bhf" will not be found in modern Scottish Gaelic. Older documents will use a spelling more similar to Irish, or are often in English phonetics.  
Graham, William. ''The Scots Word Book''. 3rd rev. ed. Edinburgh, Scotland: Ramsey Head Press, 1980. (Family History Library [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=185380&disp=The+Scots+word+book%20%20&columns=*,0,0 book 427.9411 G76s] 1980.)


As an example of how different Gaelic spelling is from English, the Lord's Prayer is reproduced here:  
Jamieson, John. ''A Dictionary of the Scottish Language.'' Edinburgh, Scotland: William Tait, 1866. (Family History Library [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=120119&disp=Jamieson%27s+dictionary+of+the+Scottish+%20%20&columns=*,0,0 book 427.941 J242j].)


:Ar n-Athair a tha air nèamh, Gu naomhaichear d'ainm.  
Warrack, Alexander. ''A Scots Dialect Dictionary''. London, England: W. &amp; R. Chambers, 1911. (Family History Library book 427.9411 W25s.)
:Thigeadh do rìoghachd. Dèanar do thoil air an talamh, mar a nithear air nèamh.


:Tabhair dhuinn an-diugh ar n-aran làitheil.  
Robinson, Mairi, ed. ''The Concise Scots Dictionary''. Oxford, England: Aberdeen University Press, 1985. (Family Hhistory Library [http://www.familysearch.org/eng/library/fhlcatalog/supermainframeset.asp?display=titledetails&titleno=188877&disp=The+Concise+Scots+dictionary%20%20&columns=*,0,0 book 427.9411 C748c].)
:Agus maith dhuinn ar fiachan, amhail a mhaitheas sinne dar luchd-fiach.  
:Agus na leig ann am buaireadh sinn; ach saor sinn o olc:
:oir is leatsa an rìoghachd, agus an cumhachd, agus a' ghlòir, gu siorraidh.


:Amen.
The Dictionary of the Scots Language can be found online [http://www.dsl.ac.uk/ here].


'''Handwriting'''<br>
=== Latin  ===
Handwriting styles have changed over time. In early records, the handwriting is quite different from what it is today. Visit [[Scotland Handwriting|Scotland Handwriting]] in Research Topics.  
 
Some Scottish records may contain Latin. Knowing some Latin will help you read these records. For help with Latin words, see the Latin Genealogical Word List (34077).
 
=== Handwriting ===
 
Handwriting styles have changed over time. In early records, the handwriting is quite different from what it is today.&nbsp; Visit [[Scotland Handwriting|Scotland Handwriting]] in&nbsp; Research Topics.  
 
=== Abbreviations  ===


'''Scottish Records Abbreviations'''<br>
Abbreviations are common in early handwriting. When recorders left letters out of a word, they indicated the fact by using various marks, such as a period, a colon, a tail on the last letter of the word, a curvy line over the word, or a raised letter at the end of the word. Abbreviations can be indicated in many ways, and it is important to study individual writers to see how they made abbreviations.  
Abbreviations are common in early handwriting. When recorders left letters out of a word, they indicated the fact by using various marks, such as a period, a colon, a tail on the last letter of the word, a curvy line over the word, or a raised letter at the end of the word. Abbreviations can be indicated in many ways, and it is important to study individual writers to see how they made abbreviations.  


In Scottish church records, ministers often used only the first letter of the words, for example:<br>
In Scottish church records, ministers often used only the first letter of the words, for example:  
L.S. = lawful son<br>
L.D. = lawful daughter<br>
N.S. = natural son<br>
N.D. = natural daughter<br>
ch. = child<br>
Ch. N. = child named<br>
N. = named<br>
Instead of writing the words father, mother, witness, son, or daughter, the minister may have used f, m, w, s, or other letters.


'''The old letter Yogh'''<br>
L.S. = lawful son
Yogh (ȝogh) is an old letter that may be encountered when looking at some very old documents. It resembles the number 3 or a cursive Z. This represents a "y" sound. Later the yogh was turned into Y. It ended up fossilized as a Z in some words and names. McKenzie and Menzies, for example, would have originally been written with a yogh, i.e. McKenȝie and Menȝies.
 
L.D. = lawful daughter
 
N.S. = natural son
 
N.D. = natural daughter
 
ch. = child
 
Ch. N. = child named
 
N. = named
 
Instead of writing the words father, mother, witness, son, or daughter, the minister may have used f, m, w, s, or other letters.  
 
=== Dates  ===


'''Dates'''<br>
Dates, instead of being numerical, are sometimes referred to by the name of the feast day or by one of the terms listed below:  
Dates, instead of being numerical, are sometimes referred to by the name of the feast day or by one of the terms listed below:  


Line 802: Line 358:
|-
|-
| Term  
| Term  
| Meaning
| Meaning  
|-
| current, instant  
| current, instant  
| Same month (Sometimes used to mean "within 30 days" or a month.)
| Same month (Sometimes used to mean "within 30 days" or a month.)
Line 832: Line 387:
|-
|-
| Feb 2nd Sabbath  
| Feb 2nd Sabbath  
| Event took place in Feb on the 1st, 2nd, or (whatever) Sabbath in the month
| Event took place in Feb on the 1st, 2nd, or&nbsp; (whatever) Sabbath in the month
|}
|}


== References  ==
{{Place|Scotland}}  
{{reflist}}


[[Category:Scotland Language and Handwriting]]
[[Category:Scotland|Scotland]] [[Category:Language_and_Languages|Language_and_Languages]]
[[Category:Scotland]]
[[Category:Language and Handwriting]] [[Category:Celtic Languages]]

Revision as of 08:28, 9 June 2010

Most records used in Scottish research are in English, with some in the closely related Scots language. They may, however, be difficult to read because of unique Scottish words, Latin words, or different handwriting styles.

Occasionally records will also contain Gaelic, often written in English phonetics. In the medieval documents about Orkney and Shetland, you may also encounter Norn, an early form of Norwegian.

Unique Scottish Words[edit | edit source]

Some words you will see in Scottish records are not used in English.

The English past participle -ed, is usually represented by -it in Scots. Older documents may also form the plural or possessive in -is. The English "wh" is often rendered as "quh" in old Scots.

The following list contains some of the more commonly used Scottish words:

Scottish Words

English         Translation A                                                   A
afore/afoir before
aith oath
ane one, an
anent about, concerning
B B
bairne, bairn child or baby
bairnis baby’s
baptist baptized
beand being
befoir before
befeir before
burgh borough, town
by near somewhere
C C
callit called
compear appeared
croft small agricultural holding
D D
defunct the deceased
delict torts
deponit deponed (witness)
do ditto
dochter daughter
docquet authenticating signature on a deed
doits money (coins)
E E
Erse, Erisch meaning Irish, referring to Gaelic culture or language
executor a person who is empowered by the deceased to carry out the terms of his/her will
F F
fay, fayr father
H H
haid had
heir portioner inheriting daughter
I I
ieroe great-grandson (Gaelic: iar-ogha)
ilk ("of that ilk") having a surname of the same place
J J
jeroy great-grandson (Gaelic: iar-ogha)
K K
kirk, kyrk church
kirkyird churchyard, graveyard
L L
laird title of landholder; related to, but not equivalent to lord
lammas, lammastide formerly 1st August, now the 28th August
lawful legitimate offspring
M M
miln, myln mill
maid bairn girl child
main bairn boy child
mains the main farm of an estate, known as the home farm in England
manrent a type of contract, usually military in nature and involving Scottish clans
mortcloth cloth covering body during burial ceremony
moy, moyr mother
N N
natural often refers to illegitimate off-spring but could be used for legitimate offspring as well
nevoy nephew
new born usually unbaptized child
not proven, guilty not proven a unique Scottish verdict which confirms the person as neither guilty, nor innocent
O O
oe, oy grandson
P P
per stipes a clause in a will saying that the grandchildren can inherit if the children predecease them
pns presence (of)
producit produced
provost used instead of "mayor" in Scotland
putit presented
pwir poor
Q Q
quwh (such as who)
quha who
qlk, quilk, quhilk, quhilck which
quairfoir wherefore
R R
raiefeit ratified
relict widow, widower
resile, resiled withdrawn (such as an offer of marriage)
S S
schew show
seik sick
siclike, sicklike, syklyk likewise
stillborn born and died same day
T T
tack yearly rent paid to a Highland landlord (Gaelic: "taic")
tacksman member of the Highland middle class, paying a tack to the laird, and often subletting
U U
udal relating to traditional Norse law in the Northern Isles (Orkney and Shetland)
udal law the remnant legal system of the Northern Isles, similar to odelsrett
udal tenure tenure under udal law
unquhile, umquil late, former, deceased
V V
varnit warned
vide see (such as, see page)
W W
wreitting writing
wmquil, umquil now deceased

Scottish Dictionaries[edit | edit source]

To find definitions for other words that are unfamiliar to you, you can use one of several Scottish dictionaries:

Craigie, Sir William A. A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue, from the Twelfth Century to the End of the Seventeenth. Chicago, Illinois: University of Chicago Press, 1937-. (Family History Librarybook 403.41 Sco87c.)

Graham, William. The Scots Word Book. 3rd rev. ed. Edinburgh, Scotland: Ramsey Head Press, 1980. (Family History Library book 427.9411 G76s 1980.)

Jamieson, John. A Dictionary of the Scottish Language. Edinburgh, Scotland: William Tait, 1866. (Family History Library book 427.941 J242j.)

Warrack, Alexander. A Scots Dialect Dictionary. London, England: W. & R. Chambers, 1911. (Family History Library book 427.9411 W25s.)

Robinson, Mairi, ed. The Concise Scots Dictionary. Oxford, England: Aberdeen University Press, 1985. (Family Hhistory Library book 427.9411 C748c.)

The Dictionary of the Scots Language can be found online here.

Latin[edit | edit source]

Some Scottish records may contain Latin. Knowing some Latin will help you read these records. For help with Latin words, see the Latin Genealogical Word List (34077).

Handwriting[edit | edit source]

Handwriting styles have changed over time. In early records, the handwriting is quite different from what it is today.  Visit Scotland Handwriting in  Research Topics.

Abbreviations[edit | edit source]

Abbreviations are common in early handwriting. When recorders left letters out of a word, they indicated the fact by using various marks, such as a period, a colon, a tail on the last letter of the word, a curvy line over the word, or a raised letter at the end of the word. Abbreviations can be indicated in many ways, and it is important to study individual writers to see how they made abbreviations.

In Scottish church records, ministers often used only the first letter of the words, for example:

L.S. = lawful son

L.D. = lawful daughter

N.S. = natural son

N.D. = natural daughter

ch. = child

Ch. N. = child named

N. = named

Instead of writing the words father, mother, witness, son, or daughter, the minister may have used f, m, w, s, or other letters.

Dates[edit | edit source]

Dates, instead of being numerical, are sometimes referred to by the name of the feast day or by one of the terms listed below:

Term Meaning current, instant Same month (Sometimes used to mean "within 30 days" or a month.)
proximo next month
ultimo last month
penultimate day, penult day the day before the last day of the month
jajvii, jmjvii, mvii indicates the century, such as 1700s
eodem tempore, eod tempore at the same time (the same date)
eodem die, eod die, E.D. the same day
Gods die God’s day, the Sabbath
Feb 1st Sabbath Exact day of month not stated
Feb 2nd Sabbath Event took place in Feb on the 1st, 2nd, or  (whatever) Sabbath in the month
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