Ulster-Scots Speech (Ullans)

The argument is still ongoing as to whether Ulster-Scots is a language proper or a Scots dialect of English. What is unquestionable is the fact that the Ulster accent and speech is very noticeably different from that of Southern Ireland, indeed Ulster is the only area outside of Scotland where Scots has survived as a spoken language/dialect.

Scots is the most defining characteristic of the Ulster accent, most Ulster-Scots who have visited other parts of the English speaking world will testify that more often than not, they are mistaken as being from Scotland rather than Northern Ireland. While broad Ulster-Scots is only spoken in the more rural communities, everyone in Northern Ireland uses Ulster-Scots words and phrases in their everyday speech.

Ulster-Scots is basically the same as West Central Scots (the language of Rabbie Burns), a Germanic tongue of common origin with English. It is ironic that the preservation of the Scots language is better funded in Ulster than it is in Scotland itself.

With the promotion of the Irish Gaelic language being used to promote Irish nationalism in Ulster, there has been a revival in interest in Ulster-Scots as a means of promoting the Ulster-Scots Protestant heritage.

Some Scots words commonly used today:

Ay - yes

Blether - talk nonsense

Brave - good, fine

Carnaptious - grumpy

Clod - throw

Cowp - tip over

Dotin - senile

Dour - sullen

Footer - potter about, waste time

Founder - be chilled

Gunked - shocked

Hash - make a mess of something

Hoke - poke around for something

Jeuk - duck down or avoid

Keek - peep

Mynn - remember

Oxtcr - armpits

Quare - considerable

Sheugh - a drain or ditch

Skunner - sicken or annoy

Thonner - over there

Thrawn - awkward (person)

Wean - child

Wheen - a number of

Yo - female sheep, ewe

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