What is Scottish English?

Scottish English refers to the varieties of English spoken in Scotland. The formal variety is called Standard
Scottish English, SSE. It has distinctive vocabulary, particularly pertaining to Scottish institutions such as
the Church of Scotland, local government and the education and legal systems. Scottish English is usually
the language of formal business communication

History

During Reformation (16th century) religious texts printed in English were widely distributed in Scotland
in order to spread Protestant doctrine. Scottish English results from language contact between Scots
and the Standard English of England after the 17th century.

Scottish English was born from a soft mix between English and Scots. It came about during the 17th
century when the language underwent a number of linguistic changes. After the union with England in
1707, Scottish transformed while remaining autonomous. This independence helped created the
languages identity, which ties in with the culture.

There are different types of Scottish English in the Highlands, the Lowlands, Glasgow, Edinburgh, etc.

Standard English has been used as the language of religion, education and government and so it became
the socially prestigious form.More markedly than in England, however, Standard English continued to be
spoken with a variety of local accents.

RP – the regionally non-specific accent of the upper middle classes in England – has a negligible
presence in Scotland (unlike Wales, for example, where it retains a certain degree of prestige in some
areas).