Languages of Ulster - Ulster Scots 4/4

An introduction to Ulster-Scots and its origins.

Content in OpenLearn - Languages of Ulster

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[BasedLink]

In America most Southerners and Appalachians are actually Ulster-Scots or Scotch-Irish as they were called. It's a bit of a stretch but there is still some similarity in the accent and in Appalachia there are still some Scots words in use.

[PoeCasey]

I’m from the line of Ulster Scots that emigrated to Appalachia in 1717. My grandparents spoke standard English but it was heavily accented with something like this language.

[RollForever]

My granny and granda spoke like this. I spent a lot of time with them as a child and above all else, miss hearing their voice.

[crickkett]

Has me missing my Scottish uncle. Loved him dearly. Thank You!

[JMaxwell]

Beautiful! I love it! Please give us more of Ulster Scots.

[rickybell.]

I'm from county Antrim, north coast of northern Ireland, if I go on holiday people love my accent, they can't understand me but it got the lady's sliding off their chair a time or two

[xSTARRYxEYESx]

Actual linguists: "Ulster Scots has been officially recognized as a minority language"

Random YouTube comments section fuckheads: "iT's NoT a LaNgUaGe"

[GRIMSBONIAN]

My Granny spoke this language. My Siamese Cat was the Japanese kit

[brandonashley]

I'm from Northern Alabama in the end of the Appalachian mountain range, The Appalachian accent is directly descended from the Ulster accent. Even here in Alabama an area that was mostly settled by English descent people before Celtic people the accent is dominated by Ulster influence. We pronounce a lot of words quite similarly. The best example of this are words like mirror and power. In Ulster they and Appalachia we both just say mir, and for power here in Appalachia it's typically pronounced pa'er ( pronounced similar to wow) while in Ulster it's said like par.

[tomgreene]

Some interesting comments ..What are the numeric systems, the verb structures, plurals, tenses etc. I don't know can someone tell me ...een, feen, fethera, feen, fence...what is this in Ulster Scots? Some of the words I can see on the list seem to me to be just matters of accent or dialect and were in use in my home county in the 1950s.

[NIObserver]

I suppose it's very difficult to dissect politics from language in this part of the world. I was very good at irish in school, but due to the fact that none of my friends/family speak it, I've definitely lost a bit of it. But I think its silly to say that my Ulster English isn't influenced in small part by scots, and of course the influence of irish in our everyday life. Just accept that if you're from NI, that we are all mixed and who knows where we all come from far enough down the line.

[darraghoneill]

Never heard this language before and yet I understand every word of it, it clearly just English with an accent

[WeldersFSC]

Crazy that the UK has so many languages throughout it

[kayedal-haddad]

Distinction between Ulster Scots and Scots?

[ellencommons-harrell]

I am a tour bus driver and I say hello in over 20 different languages. Yesterday, a handsome guy tried to teach me to say hello in Ulster-Scots but I'm afraid to say it because I can't find anywhere to prove what he wrote down that said hello. I already know Giawich that's Gaelic.... If anyone can help if you know, I thank you ahead of time. He wrote Fair fag ye. ~ Ellen

[oisinmaccumhaill]

I’ve lived in the north of Ireland my whole life, I’ve never taken an “Ulster Scots lesson”, yet I can understand all of what is being said in this video. That isn’t to say that Ulster Scots doesn’t exist. It definitely does. But it isn’t a language. It’s an accent. Or at the very most, a dialect.

[Zulanderr]

Ive been trying to teach the wife a wee bit

[michaelhalsall]

I have been watching the delightful "Derry Girls" series in which everyone speaks in a Northern Irish accent. I was surprised to hear the words "wee" and "wain" (wee yin) used regularly, which are considered uniquely "Scottish" slang words here in Australia. It appears that Ulster Scots has had a major influence on modern English in North Ireland.

[MARTYC]

Thon lingo is a lada auld ballix so it is 😂

[thenextshenanigantownandth]

It's basically just a Scottish and Irish accent mixed together with slang from the scottish lowlands and ultimately England, It's not a language.