15. Introductory handsel
A Scots word and example sentence to learn:
Kirk [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)]
Definition: church in all senses.
Example sentence: “The weddin wis at twal o clock, aabody hed ta be in the kirk fir quarter tae.”
English translation: “The wedding was at twelve o’ clock, everybody had to be in the church for a quarter to.”
Activity 2
Click to hear the sentence above read by a Scots speaker.
You can then make your own recording and play it back to check your pronunciation.
Transcript
Listen
The weddin wis at twal o clock, aabody hed ta be in the kirk fir quarter tae.
Model
The weddin wis at twal o clock, aabody hed ta be in the kirk fir quarter tae.
Go to the Dictionary of the Scots Language for a full definition of the word
Language Links
One word which many people tend to use as an obvious example of the close links between the Scots and the German languages is the noun kirk, in German die Kirche. Both have exactly the same meaning and have hardly changed over centuries. In Older Scots the noun kirk was first recorded around 1160; from around 1420 we find records of the noun spelled as kyrkyn which is even closer to the German Kirche or plural Kirchen.
As in the Scots language, the noun in German is used to describe two things: a representative church building where Christian people worship, which can be built in ornate or simpler styles and usually has at least one bell tower; or a congregation of Christians, the institution of the church. The Scots and German nouns stem from the Old Greek noun kȳrikón (κυρικόν) ‘house of god’, which was first recorded in the 4th century.
Related word:
Definition: a book
Example sentence: “As the Guid Buik says, luve God abuve al an yi nychtbour as yersel.”
English translation: “As The Bible says, love God above all and your neighbour as yourself.”
Activity 3
Click to hear the sentence above read by a Scots speaker.
You can then make your own recording and play it back to check your pronunciation.
Transcript
Listen
As the Guid Buik says, luve God abuve al an yi nychtbour as yersel
Model
As the Guid Buik says, luve God abuve al an yi nychtbour as yersel
Go to the Dictionary of the Scots Language for a full definition of the word
Introduction