Jump to content

Talk:List of English words of Scots origin

Page contents not supported in other languages.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Capitalized

[edit]

I have capitalized the beginning of each word as per the general convention in a dictionary entry. --Bhadani 13:34, 14 March 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I dare not mess up the list by editing it my self but would people agree that "mingin" (disgusting via smelly, also very drunk) is in sustained common use in English, particularly with the young. Perhaps this is an import to northern England only or is it even native? --Northener 18:48, 13 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Also, perhaps showing the Northumbrian connection, I wonder if Gumption did not come from the common Middle English, spreading North to Scots and staying around in northern England. I was brought up with "Gumption", as were my mother and her brothers, so that takes us back to the period before the effects of widespread broadcasting.--Northener 16:39, 14 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Problems with this article

[edit]

First of all, it isn't referenced at all. Secondly, a lot of the words do not come from Scots, they are words used by both Scots and English which came from other languages. Examples are scone, convene, clan, links. Needs work definitely. -- Boothman /tɔːk/ 21:22, 16 February 2007 (UTC).[reply]

Wiktionary cat and The Complaynt of Scotland

[edit]

Please note the Category:Scots derivations page at our sister project Wiktionary, giving Eng lang words of Scots (or possibly of Scots) origin. Some or all may be appropriate for listing here, suitably explained/clarified/qualified, and of course using proper inline citation!! Hint, hint.

Here were the members of that cat at the time of writing:

   * Hogmanay
   * Kirk
   * Scots
   * agin
   * agley
   * bandy
   * best laid plans
   * blackmail
   * brockle
   * cad
   * caddie
   * caddy
   * cairn
   * capercaillie
   * chad
   * collie
   * cosy
   * cozy
   * curmur
   * curmurring
   * dirk
   * drow
   * eerie
   * feckless
   * gett
   * glamor
   * glamour
   * golf
   * gumption
   * hyte
   * implement
   * jo
   * kerfuffle
   * kibosh
   * knaggie
   * lilt
   * links
   * lug
   * minger
   * pet
   * polis
   * pony
   * raid
   * rampage
   * real McCoy
   * skirl
   * tweed
   * uncanny
   * wabbit
   * wane
   * wizened

Oh yeah, and while I am here, I recently noted that the Complaynt of Scotland (1549) article lists quite a lot of words that the OED (a formidable authority) attributes first recorded usage to that Middle Scots publication:

  • "the Oxford English Dictionary cites The Complaynt of Scotland as the earliest source for numerous words, including: axis, barbarian, buffoon, cabinet, crackling, decadence, excrement, heroic, humid, imbecile, moo, parallel, robust, suffocation, superb, timid and water-lily."

That word "including" would tend to suggest that that list is not exhaustive. Infuriatingly though, that Wikipedia article is completely uncited too! (Plus ça change... )--Mais oui! (talk) 06:52, 5 December 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Though modern Scottish writers usually prefer to use the term 'Middle Scots' it is worth noting that the original author of the Complaynt drew no distinction between the language of Scotland and England; in fact quite the contrary, expressly writing in Chapter XIII "...there is nocht tua nations vndir the firmament that ar mair contrar and different fra vthirs nor is inglis men and scottis men, quhoubeit that thai be vitht in ane ile, and nychtbours, and of ane langage ..."

There is a further problem in that 'Northern English' was and is dialect group extending as far south as the Humber and at least as far north as the Firth of Forth. Many of these seemingly 'Scottish' words are equally encountered in Northern England. Ref: James Murray's The dialect of the southern counties of Scotland. http://archive.org/details/cu31924026538938

Cassandrathesceptic (talk) 13:21, 14 September 2016 (UTC)[reply]