Everyday Words in Scottish English

Scottish English has inherited a number of lexical items from Scots (a language spoken in Scotland), for example, general items are wee, the Scots word for small; wean or bairn for child; and bonnie for pretty, attractive, or good-looking.

The diminutive ending “-ie” is added to nouns to indicate smallness, as in laddie and lassie for a young boy and young girl, and sweetie for a piece of confectionery. The ending can be added to many words instinctively, e.g. bairn can become bairnie, and a small shop can become a wee shoppie.

The use of “How?” meaning “Why?” is distinctive of Scottish, Northern English and Northern Irish English. “Why not?” is often rendered as “How no?“

---

Vocabulary:

lexical items – words, terms, or phrases that belong to the vocabulary of a language, “When learning a foreign language, it is helpful to memorize common lexical items first.”

wee – a word used to describe something that is very small or tiny, “The bird built a wee nest in the branch of the tree.”

wean / bairn – regional words used to mean a child or a baby, “The grandmother looked after the little bairn while the parents were at work.”

bonnie – pretty, beautiful, or nice-looking, “Scotland is famous for its bonnie green hills and deep lakes.”

diminutive ending – a letter or group of letters added to the end of a word to show that it is small, cute, or loved, “Turning the name dog into doggy uses a diminutive ending.”

laddie / lassie – traditional words used to mean a young boy and a young girl, “The young laddie helped his father carry the wood inside.”

confectionery – sweet foods like candy, chocolates, and baked sweets, “The bakery has a special section just for gourmet confectionery.”

How no? – a regional expression that means “Why not?”, “If you are free this evening, How no come over for dinner?”