Come Awa In
Hae a lookie at the books section - the'r bookies for bairns an adults. There's dictionaries an grammars an a Scots leid lairnin course an aa.
Students an academics micht want ti look at the research section - the'r papers an ither material here. Mind an gie us yer paper gin ye'r daein ony research yersel - we'd be gled ti pit on ony relevant material. Spik to oor staff if ye'd lik ony help wi yer ain project.
As weel's oor ain material, we'v provided information tae aboot ither fowk that's got a connection wi the Scots leid. Ye'll finn links ti Scots leid upsteerers, state funded bodies an heritage organisations.
Jist get in touch if ye'd like mair help wi ony questions anent Scots. First tho hae a read aboot us an whit we dae in the Wha we are? and Whit we dae? section o this steid.
Welcome to the Scots Language Resource Centre, the country's main provider of information about the Scots language. Here you can find a range of information about Scots. You can read about the language, what it is, who speaks it and where you can read it. Soon you should be able to listen to it too. A new collection of Scots dialect recordings will be on the site in the near future. Listen out for it!
Take a look at the books section of the site - there are books for children and adults. There are dictionaries and grammars and a "teach yourself" Scots course too.
Students and academics might want to search the research section - there are papers and other material here. If you're undertaking research yourself we would be glad to publish it online, so do remember to send us any relevant material. And do contact our staff if you think we can help you with your project.
In addition to our own material, we have provided information about other Scots language organisations. You will information about Scots language campaigners, state funded organisations and heritage bodies.
Please contact us if you'd like to ask anything about Scots. First though, why not read about us and our work in the Wha we are? and Whit we dae? sections of the site.
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Kidspoem/Bairnsang
it wis January
and a gey driech day
the first day Ah went to the school
so my Mum happed me up in ma
good navy-blue napp coat wi the rid tartan hood
birled a scarf aroon ma neck
pu'ed oan ma pixie an' my pawkies
it wis that bitter
said noo ye'll no starve
gie'd me a wee kiss and a kid-oan skelp oan the bum
and sent me aff across the playground
tae the place A'd learn to say
it was January
and a really dismal day
the first day I went to school
so my mother wrapped me up in my
best nay-blue top coat with the red tartan hood,
twirled a scarf around my neck,
pulled on my bobble-hat and mittens
it was so bitterly cold
said now you won't freeze to death
gave me a little kiss and a pretend slap on the bottom
and sent me off across the playground
to the place I'd learn to forget to say
it wis January
and a gey driech day
the first day Ah went to the school
so my Mum happed me up in ma
good navy-blue napp coat wi the rid tartan hood,
birled a scarf aroon ma neck,
pu'ed oan ma pixie and' ma pawkies
it wis that bitter.
Oh saying it was one thing
But when it came to writing it
In black and white
The way it had to be said
Was as if you were posh, grown-up, male, English and dead.
Liz Lochhead
from The Colour of Black & White: poems 1984 - 2003
Permission kindly granted by Polygon
".....when Uncle Bill visited, something happened to the way we spoke.
It is difficult to describe exactly what it was that happened, but it had to do with the shape of the sentences and the words that were in them - they seemed to be just the right words in the right place. The sound of my parents chatting with Uncle Bill was a joy - they used words like scunner and glaekit and puggled and wabbit linked together by lots of dinnaes and winnaes and cannaes. Uncle Bill led the way, and my parents seemed to take their cue from him. In my recollection they seemed happier at these times than at any other, laughing a lot, sharing together, not holding back or being secretive."
".......They were relaxed in the rhythms, at ease with the words - as if they were real owners of this language, not just borrowers. And not pretenders either, for their conversa- tion was real and full of rich meaning."
"......With its colourful dialect words and distinctive accent the Scots tongue was - still is - a vigorous, vital and varied thing. And it was something my parents clearly took pleasure in. But in common with parents the world over, they wanted the best for their children. They wanted them to get on. And it can't have escaped them that the status of the Scots language in wider society was low. If you spoke in the way it felt natural to speak, the way you heard spoken all around you, you were marked in the eyes of the world beyond. It was daylight snobbery, but that's the way it was. My mother was fiercely aspiring, and my father, perhaps in the interests of peace, went along with her. English was the thing; hence the elocution lessons and all that pitiful vowel management."
from "Ghosting" by Jennie Erdal published by Canongate ISBN 1 84195 562 0