Accents/Dialect that change the English language? (Scottish list inside)

[Deleted]

I've been thinking about my Scottish accent and it's really weird now. I live in a small town outside of Edinburgh and I've been brought up to speak in a very strange way. I don't think I've ever talked to an American...so it'd be interesting to see if they even understood me. I decided to write down how I say things aloud because it occured to me that I actually butcher English when speaking. This is a serious list, but you probably wouldn't think so. I don't even think other Scottish people will understand this list.

Know = Ken
Nobody = Naeb-dae (Yeah, weird, right?)
Something = Su-hin
I don't know what to do = Ah dae ken what t'dae. (Actually not 'dinnae', it's more of a 'dae' for me.)
Wouldn't = Would'ne
Saying = Sayin
Yes = Aye
To = Ti
To do = Ti Dae
Nothing = Nu-hin or if I'm really talking fast 'Nu-in'
No = Na
Cannot = Cannae
My = Ma
Myself = Ma-sel
Anything = Any-hin
Shouldn't = Should-ne

So, does your accent/dialect actually change words? Because as you can see the way I speak aloud, written down, looks like jibberish.

[Deleted]

I want to highlight here, that the English Scottish people tend to speak is influenced by another language, Scots, which in-upon itself is a language, not a dialect.

Doric is the most well known version of Scots, but the best written example is Robbie Burns' writings.

Scots is similar to English, in the same way that Danish is to Norwegian, and Portuguese is to Spanish. In particular, the language is a combination of French, Norse, English and Gaelic.

Essentially, there is the dialect, Scottish English - English with an amalgamation of Scottish words (Ken, dinnae, bawbag, etc) and then there is Scots - A seperate language with a fair number of similarities to English (Wee, sleekit, cow'rin, tim'rous beastie : Small, crafty, cowering, timorous little beast)

[Deleted]

I want to highlight here, that the English Scottish people tend to speak is influenced by another language, Scots, which in-upon itself is a language, not a dialect.

Doric is the most well known version of Scots, but the best written example is Robbie Burns' writings.

Scots is similar to English, in the same way that Danish is to Norwegian, and Portuguese is to Spanish. In particular, the language is a combination of French, Norse, English and Gaelic.

I gather you're Scottish, but do you actually say 'Naeb-dae' for nobody, when speaking aloud?

Pissing me off that I actually say the word 'Naeb-dae' for nobody. I mean...Naeb-dae. What is that? It sounds so stupid.

[Falos]

Sounds like it'd all be plenty understandable to someone in the states if you didn't speak too fast, and it sounds like your locals probably know the original pronunciations if needed.

I'm in the west states and I guess we muffle a bit, fighting -> fight'n, mountain -> maut'n, but I think a lot of areas do it. On the other hand, we pronounce "you're" as "yer" while I think east states tend to say it the same as "your" - which isn't going to help the facetweet scrubs who can't tell them apart, imo.

[Deleted]

I gather you're Scottish, but do you actually say 'Naeb-dae' for nobody, when speaking aloud?

Depends on who i'm talking to. If I'm talking to my cousins from Peterhead, or my family, I'll tend to speak in a mixture of Doric and English, but if I'm talking to someone not from around here, I'll tend to speak English with the occasion 'Aye' thrown in.

[Deleted]

I don't know what to do, does anyone know? I've been trying to do this but I cannot do it. Maybe I shouldn't do it myself.

A- dinnae ken what ti dae, does anyone ken? Av been tryin ti dae this but a canne dae it. Maybe ah shouldn'e dae it ma-sel.

Aren't I invited?
Am a no invited?

Ugh. My mind feels like slush. ;P

[Deleted]

A- dinnae ken what ti dae, does anyone ken? Av been tryin ti dae this but a canne dae it. Maybe ah shouldn'e dae it ma-sel.

Ah' dinnae ken fit tae (ti) di (dae), d' a'body ken? A'v ben tryin' tae (ti) dae (di) this, but ah' cannae dae it. Maybe (Mabbie) ah' shouldn'ae dae (di) it ma'sel.

So close enough. Scots is a bit tricky, there isn't really a diffinitive spelling of a lot of words.

[Deleted]

Ah' dinnae ken fit tae (ti) di (dae), d' a'body ken? A'v ben tryin' tae (ti) dae (di) this, but ah' cannae dae it. Maybe (Mabbie) ah' shouldn'ae dae (di) it ma'sel.

So close enough. Scots is a bit tricky, there isn't really a diffinitive spelling of a lot of words.

So you do speak like that as well? I need some closure, lol. Right now it feels only me and the people in the small town I'm in speak like. Where do you live, by the way?

I mean, naeb-dae...so weird.

[Deleted]

So you do speak like that as well? I need some closure, lol. Right now it feels only me and the people in the small town I'm in speak like. Where do you live, by the way?

I mean, naeb-dae...so weird.

I can speak like that if so I choose to, but I mainly stick to English with the occasional Scots phrase, as very few people in the city understand full-blown Scots (Living in Aberdeen to answer the second part of your question).

[Reeve]

I don't know what to do, does anyone know? I've been trying to do this but I cannot do it. Maybe I shouldn't do it myself.

A- dinnae ken what ti dae, does anyone ken? Av been tryin ti dae this but a canne dae it. Maybe ah shouldn'e dae it ma-sel.

Aren't I invited?
Am a no invited?

Ugh. My mind feels like slush. ;P

I'm familiar with ken because the main character of my favorite book, Tai-Pan is a Scotsman, and used the word a bit, but I don't think I've ever heard it used in real life naturally (even when I was in Scotland), so I'm not sure if I'd catch it and understand or not. I think it's likely that used in context I'd follow it just fine. Some of the other words (sleekit) I'd have a much harder time with.

[Deleted]

I can speak like that if so I choose to, but I mainly stick to English with the occasional Scots phrase, as very few people in the city understand full-blown Scots (Living in Aberdeen to answer the second part of your question).

I have a friend that very rarely even says 'Aye' for yes and he lives close, but not in the town I live in. So I guess it's just this little place, because I hardly even notice people in Edinburgh say all that stuff.

So does 'Ma-sel' just come from lazyness? Or is it related to Wee, sleekit, cow'rin, tim'rous beastie : Small, crafty, cowering, timorous little beast.

[Deleted]

I hardly notice people in Edinburgh say all that stuff.

Edinburgh's an English colony with tartan wrapping paper really. I wouldn't really expect to hear Scots that often there. Maybe in some of the out-of-the-way pubs, but all the popular touristy and posh areas you'll be hearing a lot of English accents.

[Deleted]

Edinburgh's an English colony with tartan wrapping paper really. I wouldn't really expect to hear Scots that often there. Maybe in some of the out-of-the-way pubs, but all the popular touristy and posh areas you'll be hearing a lot of English accents.

Well, here's my voice saying what I wrote and how I pronounce it. Sorry for the quality, but it's listenable.

http://vocaroo.com/i/s0Pzr6OqaqI8

[Reeve]

Oh, Glasgow... I wandered into a gay bar there by mistake one night because I liked the music. I grabbed a girl to dance with, had a bit of fun, but I was kind of confused when the guys kept grabbing me to dance with me. Took me a while to catch on, really. Nice town though.

[Jalfrezi]

aye thy speek canny wee-ad up 'ere leek ya nar. thy arl git tork leek jimmy nail and pj n duncan.

[Deleted]

I don't want to sound rude but is this the first time in your life you realized accents exist at all?

No. I'm not even talking about accents.

[Jalfrezi]

So, does your accent/dialect actually change words?

No. I'm not even talking about accents.

Soooo....?

[Deleted]

Soooo....?

How does the first quote indicate to you that I've never known about accents until now? o.o

[Jalfrezi]

How does the first quote indicate to you that I've never known about accents until now? o.o

Well you first open with

"So, does your accent/dialect actually change words?"

a few minutes later

"I'm not even talking about accents."

So... what are you talking about?

I am not sure how else to put it. Ah... CONTRADICTION. Better?


P.S. It wasn't me who asked if you only just realised about accents. I am just trying to figure out what you are on about.

[koodledrum]

Speaking as a Scot who managed to survive 5 years living in England & a holiday in the US I'd say it's easy enough for people to understand us, I've got a really bad habit of "forgetting" when I'm not in Scottish company & the only trouble people have had tends to be with speed of delivery rather than getting what I'm saying (unless I'm being unpleasant, they don't really seem to understand stuff like dobber or fud!). Contrary to popular opinion Scots is not an advanced dialect, it's straightforward & plain thus easy to understand unless you have problems already understanding basic English, in which case it's going to be a problem.