A Random Sample of Older Scots Lexis

Abstract

This paper presents an analysis of the sources of the vocabulary of Older Scots, based on a random sample of one word in forty from the already published volumes of A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue. More and less frequent words are distinguished, and Old Norse and Gaelic loans are found to behave similarly to native vocabulary. Derivatives and compounds are also separately considered, and again Old Norse is found to behave similarly to native vocabulary. The chronology of borrowing is examined, and comparisons made with figures available for Early Modern English. French loans are found to be more numerous than Latin loans, in contrast to Early Modern English, and the median date for Latin loans is earlier. Nor is there an upsurge of affixation in the seventeenth century as there is in Early Modern English.