Southern Scots

Southern Scots phonology is generally similar to that of the neighbouring Central Scots varieties; however, some vowel realisations may differ markedly.

• ch may be realised {{IPA|/xw/}} after back vowels,{{cite web |url=http://www.dsl.ac.uk/INTRO/intro2.php?num=22 |title=SND Introduction – Dialect Districts. p.xxxi |publisher=Dsl.ac.uk |accessdate=2009-05-21 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120121171949/http://www.dsl.ac.uk/INTRO/intro2.php?num=22 |archivedate=2012-01-21 }} for example {{lang|sco|lauch}} (laugh) and {{lang|sco|sauch}} (willow). The cluster och is often realised {{IPA|/ɔux/}}, for example {{lang|sco|bocht}} (bought), {{lang|sco|coch}} (cough), {{lang|sco|dochter}} (daughter), {{lang|sco|focht}} (fought), {{lang|sco|socht}} (sought) and {{lang|sco|troch}} (trough) often written {{lang|sco|bowcht}}, {{lang|sco|cowch}}, {{lang|sco|dowchter}}, {{lang|sco|fowcht}}, {{lang|sco|sowcht}} and {{lang|sco|trowch}} in dialect writing. After front vowels the realisation is {{IPA|/ç/}}, occasionally with a yod-glide before it.
• ld and nd are usually elided to {{IPA|/l/}} and {{IPA|/n/}} in East Dumfriesshire and Roxburghshire.{{cite web |url=http://www.dsl.ac.uk/INTRO/intro2.php?num=22 |title=Introduction – Dialect Districts |publisher=Dsl.ac.uk |accessdate=2013-02-09 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120121171949/http://www.dsl.ac.uk/INTRO/intro2.php?num=22 |archivedate=2012-01-21 }}
• a (vowel 17) is often {{IPA|/æ/}}.{{cite web |url=http://www.dsl.ac.uk/INTRO/intro2.php?num=21 |title=SND Introduction – Dialect Districts. p.xxx |publisher=Dsl.ac.uk |accessdate=2009-05-21 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819014514/http://www.dsl.ac.uk/INTRO/intro2.php?num=21 |archivedate=2014-08-19 }} Note final a (vowel 12) in {{lang|sco|awa}} (away), {{lang|sco|twa}} (two) and {{lang|sco|wha}} (who) is often realised {{IPA|/eː/}}, often written {{lang|sco|awae}}, {{lang|sco|twae}} and {{lang|sco|whae}} in dialect writing.
• aw and au (vowel 12) may be realised {{IPA|/ɒː/}} rather than {{IPA|/ɑː/}} or {{IPA|/ɔː/}} as in Central Scots dialects, for example {{lang|sco|aw}} (all), {{lang|sco|cauld}} (cold), {{lang|sco|braw}} (handsome), {{lang|sco|faw}} (fall) and {{lang|sco|snaw}} (snow), often written using {{lang|sco|a(a)}} in dialect writing.
• In some areas ai or a(consonant)e (vowel 4 or 8) may be realised {{IPA|/ɪə/}}{{cite web|url=http://www.dsl.ac.uk/INTRO/intro2.php?num=20 |title=SND Introduction – Dialect Districts. p.xxix |publisher=Dsl.ac.uk |date= |accessdate=2009-05-21}} rather that {{IPA|/e(ː)/}}, for example {{lang|sco|baith}} (both), {{lang|sco|braid}} (broad), {{lang|sco|cake}}, {{lang|sco|claes}} (clothes), {{lang|sco|grape}} (grope), {{lang|sco|kail}} (cole), {{lang|sco|laid}} (load), {{lang|sco|laif}} (loaf), {{lang|sco|made}}, {{lang|sco|raip}} (rope), {{lang|sco|saip}} (soap) often written {{lang|sco|beeath}}, {{lang|sco|breead}}, {{lang|sco|keeak}}, {{lang|sco|cleeaz}}, {{lang|sco|greeap}}, {{lang|sco|keeal}}, {{lang|sco|leead}}, {{lang|sco|leeaf}}, {{lang|sco|meead}}, {{lang|sco|reeap}}, {{lang|sco|seeap}} in dialect writing. When the vowel occurs initially the realisation is often {{IPA|/jɪ/}} for example {{lang|sco|acre}}, {{lang|sco|aik}} (oak), {{lang|sco|aits}}, (oats), {{lang|sco|ale}}, {{lang|sco|ane}} (one) and {{lang|sco|ance}} (once) often written {{lang|sco|yicker}}, {{lang|sco|yick}}, {{lang|sco|yits}}, {{lang|sco|yill}}, {{lang|sco|yin}} and {{lang|sco|yince}} in dialect writing. Similarly after {{IPA|/h/}} in {{lang|sco|hale}} (whole), {{lang|sco|hame}} (home) and {{lang|sco|hairse}} (hoarse) often written {{lang|sco|hyil}}, {{lang|sco|hyim}} and {{lang|sco|hyirs(c)h}} in dialect writing. The realisation {{IPA|/ɪə/}} may also occur for final ae in for example {{lang|sco|spae}} (foretell).
• In some varieties e (vowel 16) may be realised {{IPA|/æ/}} rather than {{IPA|/ɛ/}}, for example {{lang|sco|bed}}, {{lang|sco|het}} (heated), {{lang|sco|yett}} (gate), etc.
• Final ee (vowel 11) is usually realised {{IPA|/ei/}}, for example {{lang|sco|dree}} (endure), {{lang|sco|flee}} (fly), {{lang|sco|lee}} (lie, fib), {{lang|sco|see}}, {{lang|sco|thee}} (thigh) and {{lang|sco|tree}}, often written {{lang|sco|drei}} or {{lang|sco|drey}}, {{lang|sco|flei}} or {{lang|sco|fley}}, {{lang|sco|lei}} or {{lang|sco|ley}}, {{lang|sco|sei}}, {{lang|sco|sey}}, {{lang|sco|thei}} or {{lang|sco|theye}} and {{lang|sco|trei}} or {{lang|sco|trey}} in dialect writing.
• eu (vowel 7 before {{IPA|/k/}} and {{IPA|/x/}} see ui) is often realised {{IPA|/iu/}}, for example {{lang|sco|beuk}} (book), {{lang|sco|eneuch}} (enough), {{lang|sco|ceuk}} (cook), {{lang|sco|leuk}} (look) and {{lang|sco|teuk}} (took).
• ou, also oo (vowel 6) when final is realised {{IPA|/ʌu/}}, for example {{lang|sco|brou}} (brow), {{lang|sco|cou}} (cow), {{lang|sco|dou}} (dove), {{lang|sco|hou}} (how), {{lang|sco|nou}} (now), {{lang|sco|fou}} (full), {{lang|sco|pou}} (pull), {{lang|sco|sou}} (sow), {{lang|sco|allou}} (allow), {{lang|sco|throu}} (through) and {{lang|sco|you}} often represented by {{lang|sco|ow(e)}} in dialect writing.
• ow,{{cite web|url=http://www.dsl.ac.uk/dsl/getent4.php?plen=10072&startset=27366693&query=O&fhit=letter+AND+alphabet&dregion=entry&dtext=snd#fhit |title=SND:O 3 (4)(ii) |publisher=Dsl.ac.uk |date= |accessdate=2013-02-09}} owe (root final) (vowel 13) may be {{IPA|/ɔu/}} rather than {{IPA|/ʌu/}} in {{lang|sco|bowe}} (bow), {{lang|sco|howe}} (hollow), {{lang|sco|knowe}} (knoll), {{lang|sco|cowp}} (overturn), {{lang|sco|yowe}} (ewe), etc.{{cite web |url=http://www.dsl.ac.uk/INTRO/intro2.php?num=21 |title=SND Introduction – Dialect Districts |publisher=Dsl.ac.uk |accessdate=2013-02-09 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819014514/http://www.dsl.ac.uk/INTRO/intro2.php?num=21 |archivedate=2014-08-19 }}
• ui (vowel 7) is often realised {{IPA|/ø/}} or {{IPA|/y/}}, however an unrounded realisation as in Central Scots is now widespread, for example, {{lang|sco|abuin}} (above), {{lang|sco|cuit}} (ankle) and {{lang|sco|guid}} (good). Unrounding to {{IPA|[eː]}} is now common in {{lang|sco|adae}} (ado), {{lang|sco|buird}} (board), {{lang|sco|dae}} (do), {{lang|sco|fluir}} (floor), {{lang|sco|fuird}} (ford), {{lang|sco|shae}} (shoe) and {{lang|sco|tae}} (to~too).

The present participle and gerund in may be differentiated {{IPA|/ən/}} and {{IPA|/in/}}, for example, {{lang|sco|Hei wis aye gutteran aboot.}} and {{lang|sco|Hei's fond o guttereen aboot.}}

From {{lang|sco|Mang Howes an Knowes}} by Elliot Cowan Smith (1891–1917)

{{lang|sco|Yet, yince in a day, thir braes hed seen unco sichts. Thonder was the moniment A jaloozed ti be the Lilliard's Edge Memorial, so that A was stannin on bluiddy Ancrum Muir. Nae cannie daffin bull- reel splore that fearfih fecht, whan the Dooglas an the Scott wrait off a wheen auld scores an saw day-aboot wui the auld-enemy.

Threh the mids o thir verra busses wad stert the huirn oo read aboot in oor bulks: ilk sheuch an heidie-hole i thir verra rigs was den for fairce sodgers in fechtin-graith-Scots an Ingleesh in a fraineeshin, fidgin mad-keen ti teer the harrigals oot o other; ilk lirk o thir knowes wad heide the gear o war. Hei'd little need be hen-herteet that hed ti beer the ramstam onfaa threh whan the slogan waekent the waller an sterteet the fray i the gray-daylicht,-eendon throwe aa the grewsome mowlie-; whan billies fell seide-be- seide till the brae-face was traisselt an the gress ran reid wui bluid; whan naigs an troopers-the deed- ruckle glutherin i-ther weizants-war cowpeet inti ilka seike, heeds an thraws,-on till the derkeneen rowed its hap roond deed an dei-in, an garrd the hyill yins devall an take a barley. Oor forebears an ther Southron neebers coodna sit soft ava i thae days: they war everly natterin an fechtin. An-sic veeshyis fechteen as it was, tui! Folk are muckle ti mean that beide on aether seide o the Mairches atween twae prood an towty countries 'at canna grei an are aye cuissen-oot. The Borderers lang syne geh thersels an awfih leife o'd. Theirs was nae canty doon-sitteen!

Duist a hip-step-an-a-lowp, an A cam on o an- other kenspeckle landmerk-Peinelheuch. This eez the saicant sic column, A've haar'tell; for, yeh gowsty nicht (wui a wund fit ti blaw doors oot wundihs) a turbleent woare as the ordnar dang doon the firsst Peinelheuch moniment (the whulk, A unk, maun heh been buggen keinda jingle-jointeet, or maim heh cowblt on ov a gey coaggly foond ; ony o the ways, it geh a steiter, an yownt-owre it tirlt!) Bit Border folk are no that easy bett ; they juist paat up a moniment fer better an brawer be what the auld yin was. An now, aabody stravaigin the Borderland-gangers an reiders-sood ken Peinelheuch.

A'd breesteet the brae now, an the road swaipeet doon afore iz. Ay! doon ti ma caav-grund o Teviot- dale-an A lilteet a sang an whewed an yuooted, leike as A'd gane wuth, an laap an flaang as yauld-as a wuddie—boondin bleithely on wui ma' airms shuggiein lowce threh ma oxters. A was abuin-the- woarlt! A was naether ti haud nor ti binnd! If onybody hed eyed iz, hei'd heh thocht A was shuir ready for Bowden!!}}

{{reflist}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20080205150525/http://www.hawick-news.co.uk/lifestyle Hawick News Lifestyle section, containing a few articles in Southern Scots]
• [http://www.scots-online.org/grammar/sscots.htm Southern Scots]

Category:Scots dialects

Category:Scottish Borders

Category:Dumfriesshire