LANGUAGE in SCOTLAND
There are three official spoken languages in Scotland: English, Gaelic and Scots
ENGLISH
English is the main language spoken in Scotland today and has been the since the 18th Century.
According to the 2011 UK census 98.6% of Scots speak English
However, there are a wide range of different accents and dialects spoken across the country.
These range from soft and sing-song to stronger and more pronounced.
Scottish English is derived from Standard English, widely mandated after the highland clearances of the 17th century.
English is a West Germanic language that originated from Anglo-Frisian languages brought to Britain in the mid 5th to 7th centuries by Anglo-Saxon migrants from what is now northwest Germany, southern Denmark and the Netherlands.
GAELIC (Gàidhlig)
Gaelic was the dominant language in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland.
According to the 2011 UK census 1.1% of Scots speak Gaelic
Derived from Irish Celtic, Gaelic is still spoken throughout Scotland and has been part of the Scottish consciousness for centuries and is considered to be the founding language of the country.
The origins of Gaelic can be traced back as far as the 10th Century.
Although the Highlands and Islands are the stronghold of the Gaelic language, the number of speakers is steadily increasing and Gaelic speakers can be found in all parts of the country. The introduction of bilingual road signs and a dedicated Gaelic TV channel mean you are never far from an encounter with the Gaelic language.
SCOTS
Whereas Gaelic was the dominant language in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, the Lowlands of Scotland adopted the language of Scots.
According to the 2011 UK census 30.1% of Scots speak Scots
As opposed to Gaelic, the Scots language is much closer in style to that of English and debate has raged for many years as to whether it's a separate language or a dialect.
Today, the UK government accepts Scots as a regional language and recognised it under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages
Possible language zones in southern Scotland, 7th–8th centuries
PICTISH
Pictish is now completely gone. There was no written form. It is considered a Celtic Brittonic language. At its height, it may have been spoken from Shetland down to Fife, but it was pushed back as Scots and Anglo-Saxons pushed north, each with their own language. Pritennic may have been a precursor of Pictish.
NORN (Norse)
Norn is an extinct North Germanic / West Scandinavian language that was spoken in Shetland, Orkney and in Caithness.
Norn evolved from the Old Norse that was widely spoken in the Hebrides during the Viking occupation from the 8th to the 13th centuries. After the Northern Isles were taken back by Scotland in the 15th century, its use was discouraged by the Scottish government and the Church of Scotland (the national church), and it was gradually replaced by Lowland Scots over time. Norn persisted well into the 19th century.
CUMBRIC (Cambric)
Cumbric was a variety of the Common Brittonic language spoken during the Early Middle Ages in what is now Northern England and southern Lowland Scotland. It was closely related to Old Welsh and the other Brittonic languages. Place name evidence suggests Cumbric may also have been spoken as far south as Pendle and the Yorkshire Dales. The prevailing view is that it became extinct in the 12th century, after the incorporation of the semi-independent Kingdom of Strathclyde into the Kingdom of Scotland.
LATIN
Latin is also used to a limited degree in certain official mottos, legal terminology, and various ceremonial contexts.
The use of Latin has declined greatly in recent years. At one time, Latin and Ancient Greek were commonly taught in Scottish schools (Greek was required for entrance to the universities until 1919, and Latin was required until 1960s). Latin's presence is almost two thousand years old in Scotland, but it has rarely been a community language.
