Do you understand Scots?

Question

Scots is a Germanic language that evolved alongside English. You've probably guessed it's Scottish. There are arguments on whether or not it's a separate language or merely a dialect.

Even if we don't speak a language fluidly, if it's related to our own, we can often still understand a lot of it. So just for fun, here's a well-known poem written in scots. How much do you understand?

Chazmatazz269 · Accepted Answer

I can understand English spoken with a Scottish accent most of the time, and sometimes hafta piece together the bits i miss from context.
I got most of these bits even when they were clearly trying to be misunderstood.

https://youtu.be/xvBsVwq76zw?si=OUIsA8DUldn7sdKs

I feel like i got enough of the poem to determine it’s about a woman who misses her favorite house calling butcher. But i didn’t think they made sausages that big in Scotland. Everyone knows you hafta go south of the N30 parallel for the really big ones. Maybe it’s her Amazon driver that delivered her spicy southern sausages that she misses so much.

AyChingao · Accepted Answer

Aye, it's little trouble to parse the gist of the tale, although the overall theme reminds me of "The Lusty Argonian Maid" in it's original Argonian as written by Crassius Curio. The presence or absence of cloacas in the story is uncertain.

queenofcardio · Accepted Answer

Interesting. I barely understand it

Cinematic Lily · Accepted Answer

I actually understand a surprising amount of written Scots 😊
Because it’s so close to English and sprinkled all over Scottish films, TV, and theater, your brain kind of auto-translates. Stuff like “wee,” “bairn,” “ken,” “aye,” “nae,” “dinnae” becomes second nature after a while.

Out loud with a strong accent can be trickier, but on the page it’s pretty manageable and really charming 🥰📖

exitseven · Answer

I understood this guy just fine Beam Me Up. The more you overthink the plumbing The easier it is to stop up the drain.

Levin · Answer

I can understand Scottish people, sadly.

But I can't understand that mess.

I suppose they have to revere it like their own Shakespeare, because it's the best they can do.

I suppose England owes a debt of servitude to the world, for not culturally cleansing Scotland and Wales. Never mind colonialism. This is the worst thing we ever did.

NathanDavis · Answer

I think I've heard it translated to English and... I'm not a fan

ManOnFire · Answer

I do not fully understand that poem lol, but when I listen to real Scots talk I can understand them fairly well. In fact the Scottish accent is my favorite from the UK.

MrOracle · Answer

I have three good friends who are Scottish, and while it was occasionally a struggle at first, I don't have much of a problem anymore. Being around them has tuned my brain to decode the accent.

AviatorTom · Answer

I watched  Outlander  and learned just a bit o Scots  Ae dinna ken. An excellent ribald poem by Robert Burns. Gets the blood a-boiling.

Daytoday79 · Answer

I always thought Scots was Gaelic (like Celtic) and not at all English, and the Scots aren't crazy about the English because they consider the English as conquerers...

mstbooblover · Answer

Interesting challenge. After reading again and again, I succeed in understanding 1/3 of the text, which seems a little naughty. No surprise with you poppy, is it :0)

OneViewpoint · Answer

What a beautiful wholesome poem. I had no idea my ancestors were so sensitive.

RavVid · Answer

Well I could follow the first verse but after that it gang aft agley.

CubaPirate · Answer

Yes I from Yorkshire and dont need subtitles lol

Hagar88 · Answer

Thats a dialect not a language. The UK is full of various dialects though the old london cockney dialect is gone replaced with Multicultural London English or Jafaican from colonisers.

AngryCarl3 · Answer

Usually I understand it very well but there's a newsreader on Radio One called Callum somebody who's completely untintelligible.

CuriousMufuxka · Answer

I cannie kno uh fshre tht bttl ye ha in hanish war heh heh me lass dunor if ye carry hic teh scotch nar whiskey boot aye woo kinly teke a swig!

FunkyMonkee · Answer

Somewhat. At the moment, I can't read any of it, my eyes are too wet from yawning.

robocop666 · Answer

Here is scottish. Billy Connolly making sheep shagging jokes

beefcakebradybatson · Answer

No, and I don't think my Scottish/Cherokee buddy, Jamie Logsdon does.

Shrimpenjoyer · Answer

Not really but I understood enough to say that 5 inches can please a lady too 🤣

Shiprex · Answer

Yes, I am Scots

douride2 · Answer

Some of them yes others not so much.

Keyboardkat · Answer

Curious, is it related in any way to Gaelic?

Do you understand Scots?

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