Central Scots facts for kids

Central Scots is a group of different ways of speaking the Scots language. Think of it like different accents or versions of a language.

This version of Scots is spoken in a large part of Scotland. You can hear it from places like Fife and Perthshire all the way to the Lothians and Wigtownshire. Because it covers such a big area, Central Scots is often divided into smaller regional groups, like North East Central Scots or West Central Scots.

Over time, like many languages, Central Scots has changed. Newer generations of speakers have started using more and more words and sounds from Standard English. This means that the pure form of Scots has become less common in many parts of Lowland Scotland.

Understanding Central Scots Sounds

Every language has its own special sounds. Central Scots has some sounds that are different from English, which makes it unique!

Consonant Sounds

Most consonant sounds in Central Scots are like those in English. But here are a few interesting differences:

• ch sound: In words like bocht (bought) or dochter (daughter), the "ch" is often pronounced like the "ch" in the Scottish word "loch."
• ld and nd sounds: Sometimes, the "ld" at the end of a word, like in "cauld" (cold), might just sound like "l." The same can happen with "nd," sounding like "n."
• ng sound: This is always pronounced like the "ng" in "sing," never like the "ng" in "finger."
• r sound: The "r" sound is always pronounced, no matter where it is in the word. This is different from some English accents where the "r" at the end of a word might not be heard.
• t sound: Sometimes, the "t" sound can be a quick stop in your throat, especially between vowels or at the end of a word.
• wh sound: This often sounds like "hw," almost like you're blowing air out, rather than just "w."

Vowel Sounds

Vowels are the sounds you make with an open mouth, like 'a', 'e', 'i', 'o', 'u'. In Central Scots, how long you say a vowel often depends on the sounds around it. This is called the Scottish Vowel Length Rule.

Here are some examples of how vowel sounds can be different:

• a sound: In words like awa (away) or twa (two), the "a" at the end often sounds like "ae" (as in "say") in the southern parts of the area.
• aw and au sounds: In words like cauld (cold) or snaw (snow), these sounds can be like the "aw" in "saw" or the "o" in "go."
• ai, ay, ae sounds: These often sound like the "e" in "bed." So, baith (both) might sound like "beth." In some areas, words like ane (one) might even start with a "y" sound, like "yin."
• ea and ei sounds: These sounds can be like the "ee" in "see" or the "ay" in "say," depending on where you are. For example, heid (head) might sound like "heed" or "hayd."
• eu sound: In words like beuk (book) or leuk (look), this sound can be like "uh" or "yoo."
• o sound: This often sounds like the "o" in "hot" or "go."
• ou sound: In words like hoose (house) or moose (mouse), this sound is usually like the "oo" in "moon."
• ui sound: This sound is used in words like guid (good) or schuil (school). It can sound like the "i" in "sit" or the "ay" in "say." So, guid might sound like "gid" or "gayd."

See also

• Glasgow patter
• Berwick-upon-Tweed#Berwick dialect