Abstract
This article discusses the Scots dialect of Ulster in the context of the politicisation of language in Northern Ireland. It problematises academic and administrative approaches to terminology and discusses their legal and research significance. The definition and promotion of Scots in Northern Ireland are viewed from the perspectives of both group and human rights, and comparisons are drawn with the ethnic politics of the United States and Israel-Palestine. It is argued that Ulster Scots is neither Unionist nor a language but the linguistic avatar of Unionism, intended to continue ethnic struggle in the new arena of language politics. Finally, the possible consequences for both politics and language in Ireland are discussed.
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