Lallans
Encyclopedia
Lallans a variant of the Modern Scots
word lawlands ˈlo̜ːlən(d)z, ˈlɑːlənz meaning the lowlands of Scotland
, was also traditionally used to refer to the Scots language
as a whole. More recent interpretations assume it refers to the dialects of south and central Scotland and Doric, a term once used to refer to Scots dialects in general, is now generally seen to refer to the Mid Northern Scots dialects spoken in the north-east of Scotland.
Both Robert Burns
and Robert Louis Stevenson
used it to refer to the Scots language.
They took nae pains their speech to balance,
Or rules to gie;
But spak their thoughts in plain, braid lallans,
Like you or me.
"What tongue does your auld bookie speak?"
He'll spier; an' I, his mou to steik :
"No bein' fit to write in Greek,
I wrote in Lallan,
Dear to my heart as the peat reek,
Auld as Tantallon.
Before the Treaty of Union
in 1707, Scots was the state language of Scotland used for all government business. Even after the Union, Scots continued in use by the Scottish courts for much of the 18th century.
of the early 20th century to refer to what Hugh MacDiarmid
called synthetic Scots, i.e., a synthesis integrating, blending, and combining various forms of the Scots language, both vernacular and archaic. This was intended as a classical, standard Scots for a world-class literature, although it was more often than not Scots words grafted on to a standard English
grammatical structure somewhat removed from traditional spoken Scots, its main practitioners not being habitual Lowland Scots speakers themselves.
MacDiarmid's detractors often referred to it as plastic Scots — a word play on synthetic as in synthetic plastics — to emphasize its artificiality. William Shakespeare also indulged in similar activities using the English language
but has never been accused of writing synthetic or plastic English. With this in mind Sydney Goodsir Smith
answered critics in his Epistle to John Guthrie:
There's no one speaks like that', they fleer,
-But wha the deil spoke like King Lear?
In Ulster
the neologism Ullans merging Ulster and Lallans is often used to refer to a revived literary variety of Ulster Scots. The magazine of the Ulster-Scots Language Society is also named Ullans.
Modern Scots
Modern Scots describes the varieties of Scots traditionally spoken in Lowland Scotland and parts of Ulster from 1700.Throughout its history, Modern Scots has been undergoing a process of language attrition, whereby successive generations of speakers have adopted more and more features from...
word lawlands ˈlo̜ːlən(d)z, ˈlɑːlənz meaning the lowlands of Scotland
Scottish Lowlands
The Scottish Lowlands is a name given to the Southern half of Scotland.The area is called a' Ghalldachd in Scottish Gaelic, and the Lawlands ....
, was also traditionally used to refer to the Scots language
Scots language
Scots is the Germanic language variety spoken in Lowland Scotland and parts of Ulster . It is sometimes called Lowland Scots to distinguish it from Scottish Gaelic, the Celtic language variety spoken in most of the western Highlands and in the Hebrides.Since there are no universally accepted...
as a whole. More recent interpretations assume it refers to the dialects of south and central Scotland and Doric, a term once used to refer to Scots dialects in general, is now generally seen to refer to the Mid Northern Scots dialects spoken in the north-east of Scotland.
Both Robert Burns
Robert Burns
Robert Burns was a Scottish poet and a lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated worldwide...
and Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson was a Scottish novelist, poet, essayist and travel writer. His best-known books include Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde....
used it to refer to the Scots language.
They took nae pains their speech to balance,
Or rules to gie;
But spak their thoughts in plain, braid lallans,
Like you or me.
- —Robert Burns in Epistle To William Simson
"What tongue does your auld bookie speak?"
He'll spier; an' I, his mou to steik :
"No bein' fit to write in Greek,
I wrote in Lallan,
Dear to my heart as the peat reek,
Auld as Tantallon.
- —Robert Louis Stevenson in "The Maker to Posterity"
Before the Treaty of Union
Treaty of Union
The Treaty of Union is the name given to the agreement that led to the creation of the united kingdom of Great Britain, the political union of the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland, which took effect on 1 May 1707...
in 1707, Scots was the state language of Scotland used for all government business. Even after the Union, Scots continued in use by the Scottish courts for much of the 18th century.
Synthetic Scots
The term Lallans was also used during the Scottish RenaissanceScottish Renaissance
The Scottish Renaissance was a mainly literary movement of the early to mid 20th century that can be seen as the Scottish version of modernism. It is sometimes referred to as the Scottish literary renaissance, although its influence went beyond literature into music, visual arts, and politics...
of the early 20th century to refer to what Hugh MacDiarmid
Hugh MacDiarmid
Hugh MacDiarmid is the pen name of Christopher Murray Grieve , a significant Scottish poet of the 20th century. He was instrumental in creating a Scottish version of modernism and was a leading light in the Scottish Renaissance of the 20th century...
called synthetic Scots, i.e., a synthesis integrating, blending, and combining various forms of the Scots language, both vernacular and archaic. This was intended as a classical, standard Scots for a world-class literature, although it was more often than not Scots words grafted on to a standard English
Standard English
Standard English refers to whatever form of the English language is accepted as a national norm in an Anglophone country...
grammatical structure somewhat removed from traditional spoken Scots, its main practitioners not being habitual Lowland Scots speakers themselves.
- "In addition, the present century has seen the conscious creation of a ‘mainstream’ variety of Scots—a standard literary variety, [...] referred to as ‘synthetic Scots’, now generally goes under the name Lallans (=‘Lowlands’). [...] In its grammar and spelling, it shows the marked influence of Standard English, more so that other Scots dialects."
MacDiarmid's detractors often referred to it as plastic Scots — a word play on synthetic as in synthetic plastics — to emphasize its artificiality. William Shakespeare also indulged in similar activities using the English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
but has never been accused of writing synthetic or plastic English. With this in mind Sydney Goodsir Smith
Sydney Goodsir Smith
Sydney Goodsir Smith was a Scottish poet, artist, dramatist and novelist. He wrote poetry in literary Scots often referred to as Lallans, and was a major figure of the Scottish Renaissance....
answered critics in his Epistle to John Guthrie:
In Ulster
Ulster
Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...
the neologism Ullans merging Ulster and Lallans is often used to refer to a revived literary variety of Ulster Scots. The magazine of the Ulster-Scots Language Society is also named Ullans.