Lallans ([ˈlɑːlən(d)z], [ˈlaːlən(d)z] a variant of the Scots word lawlands 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 Scots dialects of north east Scotland. Scots, sometimes called Lowland Scots to distinguish it from the Gaelic language of the Highlands is a variety of Anglic language spoken in Scotland, parts of Northern Ireland, and border areas of the Republic of Ireland, where it is known in official circles as Ulster Scots or Ullans but by... The Scottish Lowlands ( an Galldachd in Gaelic ), although not officially a geographical area of the country, in normal usage is generally meant to include those parts of Scotland not referred to as the Highlands (or Gàidhealtachd), that is, everywhere due south and east of a line (the Highland Boundary... Scots, sometimes called Lowland Scots to distinguish it from the Gaelic language of the Highlands is a variety of Anglic language spoken in Scotland, parts of Northern Ireland, and border areas of the Republic of Ireland, where it is known in official circles as Ulster Scots or Ullans but by... Note: This page contains IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode. ...

Both Robert Burns and Robert Louis Stevenson used it to refer to the Scots language. Wikisource has original text related to this article: Robert Burns Robert Burns, preeminent Scottish poet Burns redirects here. ... Robert Louis Stevenson Robert Louis (Balfour) Stevenson (November 13, 1850 – December 3, 1894), was a Scottish novelist, poet, and travel writer, a leading representative of Neo-romanticism in English literature. ...

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 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 Renaissance 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. The Scottish version of modernism, the Scottish literary renaissance was begun by Hugh MacDiarmid in the 1920s when he abandoned his English language poetry and began to write in Lallans. ... Hugh MacDiarmid was the pen name of Christopher Murray Grieve (August 11, 1892, Langholm - September 9, 1978), perhaps the most important Scottish poet of the 20th century. ... Standard English is a general term for a form of written and spoken English that is considered the model for educated people by native English speakers. ...

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: William Shakespeare—born April 1564; baptised April 26, 1564; died April 23, 1616 (O.S.), May 3, 1616 (N.S.)—has a reputation as the greatest of all writers in English. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Sydney Goodsir Smith (26 October 1915 - 15 January 1975) was a New Zealand-Scottish poet, artist, dramatist and novelist. ...

We've come intil a gey queer time

Whan scrievin Scots is near a crime,

'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 the revived literary variety of Ulster Scots. The magazine of the Ulster-Scots Language Society is also named Ullans. Statistics Area: 24,481 Population (estimate) 1,931,981 Ulster (Irish: Cúige Uladh, IPA: ) forms one of the four traditional provinces of Ireland. ... Ulster Scots, also known as Ullans, Hiberno-Scots, or Scotch-Irish, refers to the variety of Scots spoken in parts of the province of Ulster, which spans the six counties of Northern Ireland and three of the Republic of Ireland. ...

Magazine

Lallans is the name of the magazine of the Scots Language Society.

See also

• History of the Scots language
• Doric

The history of the Scots language goes back at least six and a half centuries, to when Lowland Scots (then called Inglis) began to appear in literary form. ... Note: This page contains IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode. ...

External links

• Lallans Magazine