A

The first letter of the Scots alphabet, called aw and written in the Latin script.


fa

Fa's this quine, en?


thou

head

thou (objective case thee, reflexive thysel, possessive determiner thy)

thee (objective)
thysel (reflexive)
thy (determiner possessive)

From Middle English þou, from Old English þū, from Proto-Germanic *þū, from Proto-Indo-European *túh₂ (“you”).

(archaic outside Orkney and Shetland) thou, you (2nd person singular subject pronoun, informal)


thee

thee (subjective case thou, reflexive thysel, possessive determiner thy)

case thou (subjective)
thysel (reflexive)
thy (determiner possessive)

From Middle English þe, from Old English þē (“thee”, originally dative, but later also accusative), from Proto-Germanic *þiz (“thee”), from Proto-Indo-European *te (“second-person singular pronoun”).

inh

(archaic outside Orkney and Shetland) thee, you (2nd person singular object pronoun, informal)

(Orkney, Shetland) thou, you (2nd person singular subject pronoun, informal)


this

This plants is deid.


what

From Middle English what, from Old English hwæt, from Proto-West Germanic *hwat. Cognates include English what and Yola faade.


mine

Inherited from Middle English min, myn, from Old English mīn, from Proto-West Germanic *mīn, from Proto-Germanic *mīnaz, from Proto-Indo-European *méynos.


us

Inherited from Middle English us, from Old English ūs (“us”, dative personal pronoun), from Proto-Germanic *uns (“us”), from Proto-Indo-European *ne-, *nō-, *n-ge-, *n̥smé (“us”).


we

Inherited from Middle English we, from Old English wē (“we”), from Proto-West Germanic *wiʀ, from Proto-Germanic *wīz, *wiz (“we”), from Proto-Indo-European *wéy (“we (plural)”). Cognate with English we.


he

head

he (third-person singular, masculine, nominative case; accusative him, reflexive himsel, possessive his)

him (accusative)
himsel (reflexive)
his (possessive)

From Middle English he, from Old English hē.


me

Inherited from Middle English me, from Old English mē (“me”, originally dative, but later also accusative), from Proto-West Germanic *miʀ, from Proto-Germanic *miz (“me”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁me- (“me”).


fit

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.


sic

From Middle English sich, from Old English swelc.


ye

Inherited from Middle English ye, ȝe, from Old English ġē (“ye”), the nominative case of the second-person plural personal pronoun, from Proto-West Germanic *jiʀ, from Proto-Germanic *jīz, a North-West variant of Proto-Germanic *jūz (“ye”), from Proto-Indo-European *yūs, *yū́ (“ye”), plural of *túh₂.

you (2nd person singular and plural, nominative and accusative)


du

head

du (objective case dee, vocative dee, possessive determiner dines)

dee (objective)
dee (vocative)
dines (determiner possessive)


yon

From Middle English yon, from Old English ġeon, from Proto-Germanic *jainaz. Compare English yon and German jener.

that, those, yonder (indicating a person or thing at some distance in time or space usually more remote than that)


ei

(Southern Scots, personal) he (alternative form of hei)


neen

(Northern Scots and Shetland) Alternative form of nane


eet

Dis eet say si?

(Southern Scots) the form of it which is used after an inversion


wham

Scots, wham Bruce has aften led.


I

The ninth letter of the Scots alphabet, written in the Latin script.


ae

southern East Central Scots, South-West Scots

From Northern Middle English a, apocopic form of oon, from Old English ān (“one”), from Proto-West Germanic *ain. See also Scots ane.


yow

Uncertain; most likely from Old English ēow.


wha

From Middle English wha, northern variant of who, from Old English hwā, from Proto-West Germanic *hwaʀ. See English who.


nain

nain (comparative mair nain, superlative maist nain)

mair nain (comparative)
maist nain (superlative)

From the prothetic n- + ain, from the wrong division of mine ain as my nain.

He was my nain bairn.


whaur

From Old English hwǣr (“where”, literally “at what place”), from Proto-Germanic *hwar (“where”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷo- (interrogative pronoun).


baith

1836, Joanna Baillie, Witchcraft, Act 1, p.13

(please add an English translation of this quotation)

She's enough to mak a trooper quake; ay, wi' baith swurd and pistol by his side.


nowts

(Southern Scots) naught, nothing (alternative form of nowt).


yow yins

(Southern Scots) Second-person plural pronoun; you; you lot (but without pejorative implications).


nane

From Middle English noon, from Old English nān, from ne (“not”) + ān (“one”). Compare English none.


nane

head

nane (comparative mair nane, superlative maist nane)

mair nane (comparative)
maist nane (superlative)


nuhin

Ah look aboot the caravan fur inspiration but nuhin is jumpin oot at me.

2018, Chris McQueer, HWFG, 404 Ink, published 2018, page 23:


whae

Whae dar meddle wi mei?


thaim

(Southern Scots, personal, emphatic) third-person plural pronoun; them. Compare non-emphatic pronoun them (/ðəm/).


yersel

Tak a guid leuk at yersel.


bodie

A member of Genus Homo. Not to be confused with person, although all "bodies" are people.


ocht

Inherited from Middle English aught, ought, from Old English āht, āwiht, from ā (“always", "ever”) + wiht (“thing", "creature”).


thir

Some mair kenspeckle than ithers, thir fower leids are aw in the same wund-blawn boatie as Scots.

2016 April 13, Matthew Fitt, “Shame o Scots speakers treatit as third cless citizens”, in The National:


siclike

Yet e'en the ha' folk till their pechan
Wi' sauce, ragouts, and siclike trashtrie

1786, Robert Burns, The Twa Dogs:A Tale:


whilk

From Middle English whilk, northern variant of which, from Old English hwilc, from Proto-Germanic *hwilīkaz.

"Deed, mem," said George, whose acquaintance with Scripture was neither extensive nor precise, "to my mind he's jist a fulfilment o' the prophecee, 'An auld heid upo' young shouthers;' though I canna richtly min' whilk o' the lesser prophets it is that conteens 't."

1900, George MacDonald, Alec Forbes of Howglen:

Whan first amang the dewy flowers, Aside yon siller stream, My lowin' heart was press'd to yours, Nae purer did they seem; Nae purer seem'd the draps o' dew, The flowers on whilk they hung, Than seem'd the heart I felt in you As to that heart I clung.

1857, Various, The Modern Scottish Minstrel, Volume IV.:

An' now Thou kens our waefu' case; For Geordie's jurr we're in disgrace, Because we stang'd her through the place, An' hurt her spleuchan; For whilk we daurna show our face Within the clachan.

1780, Robert Burns, Poems And Songs Of Robert Burns:


Adie

a diminutive of the male given name Aidam


ither

From Middle English ōþer, from Old English ōþer.

And then she changed her voice and would be as saft as honey: 'My puir wee Ailie, was I thrawn till ye? Never mind, my bonnie. You and me are a' that's left, and we maunna be ill to ither.'
[…]
The noise of the Heriot had not long fallen behind him ere another began, the same eerie sound of burns crying to ither in the darkness. It seemed that the whole earth was overrun with waters.

1902, John Buchan, The Outgoing of the Tide:


quhilk

The cunnying clark, quhilk writith craftelie,
The plant of poetis, callit Ballendyne,
Quhose ornat warkis my wit can nocht defyne.

(Can we date this quote?), Sir David Lyndsay, (Please provide the book title or journal name):

The cunning clerk, which writes craftily, / The plant of poets called Ballendyne, / Whose ornate works my wit cannot define.

the prophesies of Merlyne, to the quhilk the Inglishmen giffis more confidens nor thai gif to the evangel

1559, anonymous author, The Complaynt of Scotlande:

the prophecies of Merlin, to which the Englishmen give more confidence than they give to the gospel


thoo

thoo (objective case thee, vocative thee, possessive determiner thee)

thee (objective)
thee (vocative)
thee (determiner possessive)

Thoo kens whit hid's like wi a hooseful o folk

You know what it's like with a houseful of folks


everycunt

Ah cin hear everycunt in that hall laughin at me.

2018, Chris McQueer, HWFG, 404Ink, published 2018, page 8:


Ik

From Middle English ik, from Old English ic (“I”, pronoun), from Proto-West Germanic *ik (“I”, pronoun).

Wha did that? Ik!

For Ik am he, I say the soithly, [...]


anycunt

‘Ah've never heard o' the guy and ah would think if anycunt had a grievance wi' him sellin' drugs in Shake it would be me.’

‘As if anycunt’ll be in oor seats, hen,’ ah say. ‘They aw know better by noo, surely.’

2018, Chris McQueer, HWFG, 404Ink, published 2018, page 2:


somecunt

When ah listen tae Huey singing it's like…ah don't know, as if somecunt’s pourin nice, warm golden syrup intae mah ears.

2018, Chris McQueer, HWFG, 404Ink, published 2018, page 3:


suhin

Ahm no really wantin a joab but ah suppose, really, it's time ah did suhin wi mah life.

2018, Chris McQueer, HWFG, 404 Ink, published 2018, page 59:


quhose

Sir David Lyndsay
The cunnying clark, quhilk writith craftelie,
The plant of poetis, callit Ballendyne,
Quhose ornat warkis my wit can nocht defyne.


ilka ane

What pushing and crushing
Amang the lads and lasses;
What squeezing and feezing
Wi' ilka ane that passes

1825, James Bissett, An Attempt to delineate Ceres Fair:


a'thing

From Middle English althing; equivalent to a'- + thing.


Advocat

Lord Advocate, the chief law officer of the Crown in Scotland; formerly “King's Advocate.


Ack

a male given name, equivalent to English Alexander


Eh

Eh (first person singular, objective me, possessive meh, possessive pronoun mines, reflexive mehsel)

me (objective)
meh (possessive)
mines (possessive pronoun without-noun)
mehsel (reflexive)

Eh hud meh eh on a peh.


nowther

From Middle Scots nowther, nouther, nowder, nolder, from Middle English nowwþerr.


a'body

From a' (“all, every”) + body. Attested at least from c. 1800; compare a' from Middle English all.

The light glimmer’d in thro’ a crack i’ the wa’,
An’ a’ body thocht the lift it would fa’,
An’ lads and lasses they soon ran awa
Frae Kitty Reid’s house on the green, Jo.

c. 1800, Carolina Nairne, “Kitty Reid’s House”, in Life and Songs of the Baroness Nairne, published 1869, page 61:

The light shone in through a crack in the wall, And everybody thought the sky would fall, And the boys and girls soon ran away from Kitty Reid’s house on the green, Love.

There was an auld wife, and they ca’d her Kilfuddie;
An a’ body said she wad gang to the wuddie;
But I think she de’ed in a better commaund,
For she danced her to deid at her ain house end.

1823, Robert Chambers, editor, The Popular Rhymes of Scotland, Miscellaneous, page 302:

There was an old woman, and they called her Kilfuddie; And everybody said she was bound for the gallows; But I think she died in a better situation, For she danced herself to death under her own roof.

He wis throu wi Clart Central, Port, the Ceilidh, an awbody. An no lang nou, awbody wid be thro wi him.

2020, Matthew Fit, But n Ben A-Go-Go, page 82:

He was through with Central Division, the port, the dance hall, and everyone. And not long from now, everybody would be through with him.


awbody

Alternative form of a'body (“everybody”)


Aidam

a male given name, equivalent to English Adam


mysel

Inherited from Middle English myself, meself, from Old English mē selfum and similar phrases.