# Scots fowk

The **Scots fowk** (Scots Gaelic: *Albannaich*), or **Scots**, is a naition an ethnic group native til Scotland. Historically thay came frae a mellin o the Pechts an Gaels, incorporatin neebourin Brítons tae the sooth as weel as invadin Germanic fowks siclike the Anglo-Saxons an the Norse.

In modren uiss, "Scots fowk" or "Scots" is uised fir tae refer tae onybody that's origins is frae within Scotland. The Laitin wird *Scotti* oreeginally applee'd tae a parteecular, 5t century, Gaelic tribe that inhabitit Ireland.

Tho fir ordinar considert airchaic or pejorative whan applied tae fowk, the term **Scotch** haes been uised fir the Scots fowk an aw, but this uise is nou, tae the maist pairt, bi fowk ootwi Scotland. The *Oxford Dictionar* describes *Scotch* as an auld-farrant term fur "Scottish".

## Ethnic groups o Scotland

In the earlie Middle Ages, the Kinrick o Scotland saw loads o ethnic or cultural groups, includin the Pechts, the Gaels, the Brítons, an the Angles, wi the latter settlin in the sootheast o the kintra. Cultural-like, thae fowk ur groupit bi leid. Maist o Scotland till the 13t-centurie spak Celtic leids an thae included, at least tae stairt wi, the Britons, as weel as the Gaels an the Pechts. Germanic fowk included the Angles o Northumbrie, that bided in sooth-east Scotland in the airt atween the Firth o Forth tae the north an the Watter o Tweid tae the sooth. Thay occupied the sooth-wast o Scotland an aw, up tae an the plain o Kyle an thair leid, Auld Inglis, wis the earliest form o the leid that eventual-like became kent as Scots.

Uiss o the Gaelic leid spreid oothrou near the hail o Scotland bi the 9th-centurie, raxin a peak in the 11t tae 13t centuries, but wis niver the leid o the sooth-east o the kintra. King Edgar divided the Kinrick o Northumbrie atween Scotland an Ingland; at least, maist medieval historians nou accept the 'gift' bi Edgar, in ony case, efter the Battle o Carham the Scots kinrick encompassed many Inglis fowk, wi even mair mibbie arrivin efter the Norman invasion o Ingland in 1066. Sooth-east o the Firth o Forth, then in Lowden an the borders (oe: loðene), a northren variety o Auld Inglis, kent as earlie Scots, wis spak.

As a result o this, the King o Scots returned fae exile in Ingland in 1113, tae assume the throne in 1124 at the hinder end, wi the help o the Norman military force, King David invitit Norman faimilies fae Fraunce an Ingland tae settle in lands he grantit thaim tae spread a rulin class lyal tae hissel. This Davidian Revolution, as loads o historians caw it, brocht a European pure class o feudalism til Scotland alang wi an influx o fowk o Norman descent – bi invítation, no like Ingland whaur it wis bi conquest. Tae this day, loads o the common fowk names o Scotland can trace ancestry tae Normans fae this period, sic as the Stewarts, the Bruces, the Hamiltons, the Wallaces, the Melvilles, some Browns an loads o ithers.

The Northren Isles an some bits o Caithness wis Norn-speakin (the wast o Caithness wis Gaelic-speakin till the 20t-centurie, as war some wee communities in bits o the mids Hielands). Fae 1200 tae 1500 the earlie Scots leid spreid aw ower the Lawland airts o Scotland atween Galloway an the Hieland line, bein used bi Barbour in his historical epic the *Brus* in the late 14t-centurie in Aiberdeen.

Fae 1500 onward, Scotland wis commonly divided bi leid intae twa groups o fowk, Gaelic-speakin "Hielanders" (the leid formerly cried *Scottis* bi Inglis speakers an kent bi mony Lawlanders in the 18t-century as Erse) an the Inglis-speakin "Lowlanders" (a leid efter tae be cried Scots). The day, immigrants hae broucht ower ither leids, but awmaist ilka adult oothrou Scotland is fluent in the Inglis leid.

## Etymology

Oríginally, the Romans uised *Scotia* tae refer tae the Gaels bidin in Ireland. The Venerable Bede (c. 672 or 673 – 27 Mey, 735) uises the wird *Scottorum* fur the nation fae Ireland that settlt pairt o the Pictish lands: "*Scottorum nationem in pictorum parte recipit.*" We can infer this tae mean the arrival o the fowk, kent forby as the Gaels, in the kinrick o Dál Riata, in the wastren lip o Scotland. It's tae note that Bede uised the wird *natio* (nation) fur tae refer tae the Scots, whaur he aften refers tae ither fowk, sic as the Picts, wi the wird *gens* (race). In the 10t-centurie *Anglo-Saxon Chronicle*, the wird Scot is mentioned as a reference tae the "land o the Gaels". The wird 'Scottorum' wis uised again bi an Erse king in 1005: *Imperator scottorum* wis the title gien tae Brian Bóruma bi his notary, Mael Suthain, in the Book o Armagh. This style wis subsequently copied bi the Scots kings. *Basileus scottorum* appears on the Great Seal o King Edgar (1074–1107). Alexander (c. 1078–1124) uised the wurds *rex scottorum* on his Great Seal, as did mony o his successors up tae Jamie the Saxt.

In modren times, the wurds *Scot* an *Scots* ur applied mainly tae inhabitants o Scotland. The maybee aye ancient Irish connotations ur maistly forgat. The leid kent as Ulster Scots, spak in bits o North-east Ireland, is the result o 17t an 18t-centurie immigration tae Ireland fae Scotland.

## Fitmerks