Historical Scots

Question 1

Old Scots texts + writers

Answer 1

1375 - The Brus - John Barbour
William Dunbar - 15th and 16th centuries
Robert Burns - 118th century

Legislation of James I - 1424

Question 2

Older Scots + Modern Scots

Answer 2

1100 - 1400 - Early Middle Scots 
1400 - 1500 - Middle Scots 
1500 - 1600 - Late Middle 
1600- 1700 - Early Modern 
1700 - today - Modern Scots

Question 3

Why is Scots not a dialect of English?

Answer 3

• developed in parallel in different locations
• became recognised as separate entities in their respective geographic, cultural, ethnic, social and political environments

Question 4

Scots vs English

Answer 4

• Scots is a Germanic language developed in the North, closely related to English
• English is a Germanic language developed in the South, closely related to Scots

Question 5

High Class examples of Scots in use

Answer 5

• Mary Queen of Scots
• James VI 1567-1625 - versatility of Scottish poetry

Courtly entertainment

• Flyting of Dunbar and Kennedy - 15th cent
• Flyting of James V by David Lyndsay - 16th cent
• Flyting of Montgomerie and Polwart - at James VI’s court - 16th cent

Question 6

Scots High Style examples

Answer 6

William Dunbar - Lament for the Makaris + The Ballade of Barnard Stewart
Murdoch Nisbet - bible - 1520
Robert Lindsay - The Historie and Cronikles of Scotland

In 1540 - Scots is the language of the King, parliament and state!

Question 7

Criteria/Process for/of language standardization

Answer 7

1. Selection
   - fixed standard chosen
2. Acceptance
3. Elaboration
   - maximum variation in function
   - minimal variation in form
4. Codification
   - prescriptivism

Question 8

Where in the process of language standardization did Scots fail

Answer 8

minimal variation in form

Question 9

Growth of Anglicisation

Answer 9

James VI’s Basilikon Doron 1599 shows signs of Anglicisation
–> Scoots diagnostic variants replaced by English

Devitt, Amy 1989 - ‘by 1659 90% of writing was Anglicised’

–> some genres Anglicised earlier

Question 10

The Age of Learning and Politeness

Answer 10

After 1700 –> Southern English had produced a standard which was perceived as a model of linguistic correctness

18th Century - debate over whether Scots should be maintained or disused