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How should we use Scots words? IN our Sunday edition last week, we ran a column by Rab McNeil headlined: “How did Scotland adopt a white horse with a big stick coming oot its heid as a national system?” It got us thinking about our use of Scots in The Herald. Senior Assistant Editor Garry Scott, who wrote the headline, says: “I thought it was appropriate to use Scots in this headline as Rab uses Scots terms in his copy. It was also a lighter piece. Would I have headlined a piece by, say, Iain Macwhirter or Alison Rowat, using a Scots term? Perhaps not.

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LIFT FOR obvious reasons I – like many other people – have spent much time indoors recently, looking out, rather wistfully, at the same bit of sky. But a small plus is that it has given me the idea for today’s word: lift (sometimes spelt luft, luift). Lift is possibly the most common word in Scots for ‘sky’. It appears alongside rarer, figurative uses of words such as carry – a north-eastern usage that can also mean ‘motion of the clouds’ -- and pen or pend (which more usually means archway or canopy). Lift derives from Old Northumbrian, the variety spoken across norther...

Thank you for signing up to The Courier daily newsletter Something went wrong - please try again later. Sign Up Alistair Heather and Sheena Wellington – who have launched free online sessions helping participants develop their understanding of Dundee’s Scots language. For Dundee born and bred traditional singer Sheena Wellington, the Scots language has always been an important part of life. Coming from a family of weavers, the 76-year old former Blackness Primary and Harris Academy pupil was brought up in a Dundee Scots speaking household. Yet despite being surrounded by her Dund...

Exam chiefs say they are battling stigma against the internationally recognised language of Scotland.  Figures show 418 pupils achieved the Scots Language Award (SCQF) in 2020 compared to just 100 in 2019. A "significant jump" in those signing up for the qualification in 2021 has been noted, although official figures for this year have yet to be published. An increase in the number of pupils using Scots in written assessments has also been highlighted by the SQA, with the quality of submissions described as "high". Qualifications manager for languages at SQA, Marilyn Waters, said:...