LL-L: "Scots" LOWLANDS-L, 08.MAY.2001 (01) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 08.MAY.2001 (01) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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 A=Afrikaans, Ap=Appalachean, D=Dutch, E=English, F=Frisian, L=Limburgish
 LS=Low Saxon (Low German), S=Scots, Sh=Shetlandic, Z=Zeelandic (Zeeuws)
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From: Mike Oettle <oettlepe at iafrica.com>
Subject: origins of Scots

This is probably a subject that has been dealt with at length, and I've only
lately joined the list, but it might do with an airing.
    The Scots language is definitely Anglo-Saxon, and only incidentally
connected with the Gaelic-speaking Scots (of Irish origin) who established
the Scottish kingdom.
    But it's worth looking back at its roots. A book I have consulted (I can
get the reference if anyone is interested) states that the Romans encouraged
Germanic settlers on North Sea coast of what is now southern Scotland. The
mix is interesting: unlike the far south of Britain, where Germans seem to
have come much later, and were Angles, Saxons and Jutes, those on the
"Scottish" coast were Angles, Saxons and Frisians. So from the very
beginning the mix was different.
    Then when the Anglo-Saxons became established in Britain, the first
kingdom that rose to prominence was Northumberland. Its name gives its
origins: it arose north of the Humber. But it spread much further north, and
in fact included Pictland (the far north of Britain) for at least a
generation before the Gaelic Scots expanded from their initial conquests in
Argyll and absorbed Pictland into their realm. So before the Picts became
Gaelic subjects, they had been anglicised. The same is true of the
Strathclyde British (sometimes called Welsh), who had lost their Celtic
speech by the time the Scots conquered them.
    When the Scottish kingdom eventually became master of a substantially
English-speaking area, it briefly tolerated the usage "Inglis" for the
language of the majority of the kingdom, but then labelled it Scots.
    It's worth noting that from the time of the Romans the word Scot was
used to describe raiders from Ireland who behaved in similar fashion to the
Vikings (raiders from Scandinavia). The term later also covered peaceable
settlers. There is reference in historical and archæological works to a
settlement of Scots (Irish) in the vicinity of Glastonbury, who lived there
under the auspices of the monastery there, a centre of missionary work in
Ireland.
    The word Scot only became definitely identified with the north of
Britain following the establishment of the Ulster Irish kingdom in Argyll,
also known as Dalriada.
    I would be interested to hear comments on how these factors have
influenced the Scots language.
    Mike Oettle

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