Scotland

:For other uses, see Scotland (disambiguation). See also British Isles (terminology).

Language

Scotland has three distinct languages: English, Gaelic, and Scots.

Related Topics:
English - Gaelic - Scots

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Almost all Scots speak Scottish Standard English. It is estimated by the General Register Office for Scotland that 30% of the population are also fluent in Scots, a sister West Germanic language to the English language. Slightly more than 1% of the population are native Gaelic speakers, a Celtic language similar to Irish. Eilean Siar is the only unitary council region of Scotland where Gaelic is spoken by a majority of the population and that fact is reflected in the use of Gaelic in its official name. Almost all Gaelic speakers also speak fluent English.

Related Topics:
Scottish Standard English - General Register Office for Scotland - Scots - West Germanic language - English language - Gaelic - Celtic language - Irish - Eilean Siar

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By the time of James VI's accession to the English throne, the old Scottish Court and Parliament spoke and wrote in Scots, also known as Lowland Scots or Lallans (although strictly speaking Lallans is a literary dialect of the Scots language). Scots is widely believed to have developed from the Northumbrian form of Anglo-Saxon, spoken in Bernicia which, in the 6th century, conquered the Brythonic kingdom of Gododdin (modern-day Lothian) and renamed its capital, Dunedin, to Edinburgh. The influence of settlers from the Low Countries and Norway in the east coast burghs founded from the reign of David I onwards was also an important factor in the development of the language, however. Scots contains a number of borrowed and loaned words from Gaelic.

Related Topics:
James VI - Lallans - Northumbrian - Anglo-Saxon - Bernicia - 6th century - Brythonic - Gododdin - Lothian - Dunedin - Edinburgh - Low Countries - Norway - David I

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The Scottish Parliament recognises both English and Gaelic as official languages of Scotland, both receiving "equal respect" although not equal validity. Gaelic received official recognition through the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005. The Scots language was also officially recognised as a "regional or minority language" under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages ratified by the United Kingdom in 2001, and the Scottish Executive, has promised to provide support in their Partnership Agreement 2003. The Scottish Language Dictionaries project receives some state funding via the Scottish Arts Council.

Related Topics:
Scottish Parliament - European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages - United Kingdom - 2001 - Scottish Executive - 2003 - Scottish Arts Council

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