The History of the Scottish Accent
Influenced by geography, language, and culture, the history of the Scottish accent is long and complex.
Scottish voice actors are in high demand. With international popularity and the many positive connotations of the Scottish accent, global brands and local businesses are choosing to represent themselves with a Scottish voice.
The Scottish accent is considered easily recognisable in the English-speaking world. It is known for its unique use of grammar and vocabulary as well as vocal lilt and song-like patterns of rising and falling pitch. Part of the accent’s charm and appeal is rooted in the history of the Scottish accent and this context in relation to a specific character or message.
But how did the Scottish accent come to be? And why does it sound the way it does today?
Celtic & Germanic Roots
The Scottish accent has both Germanic and Celtic roots, with each of these language groups having a significant influence on the development of the modern Scottish accent. This can be traced back to Celtic and Germanic settlers in the early middle ages.
The Celtic influence on the Scottish accent is particularly pronounced. Rolling R’s and glottal stops are some of the main features borrowed from Gaelic, which is the native Celtic language of Scotland. While Gaelic is now only spoken by a minority of people in Scotland, particularly in the western Highlands and Isles, the language continues to have a lasting impact on the Scottish accent for English speakers too.
The Germanic influence on the Scottish accent is also significant, with many words and grammatical structures borrowed from Old English, which then developed into Scots. This was the language spoken by the Anglo-Saxons who settled in England in the 5th and 6th centuries. Examples of Old English words and phrases that have been integrated into Scotland’s dialects include “ken” (meaning to know), “wee” (meaning small), and “bairn” (meaning child).
The mixing of these two language groups has resulted in a unique blend of dialects characteristic of the modern Scottish accent. While the Celtic and Germanic influences on the Scottish accent are still evident today, they have also been shaped and influenced by a variety of other factors over time, including regional dialects and pop culture.
Scottish Language Timeline
Various languages have been used in Scotland throughout the centuries, and each leaves a lasting imprint on the way we sound today and some of the vocabulary we continue to use. Let’s look at the history of language in Scotland and the phonological characteristics of each.
Pictish
Pictish is the now-extinct language of the Picts, the people of northern and eastern Scotland between late Antiquity and the early Middle Ages. Unfortunately, we don’t really know what the Pictish language sounded like, and therefore we don’t know its effects on the Scottish accent over time. Only the names of people and geographical locations are known from monuments, such as Pittenweem or Pitlochry.
Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic is part of the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family. This language was developed from Old Irish after settlers travelled to Argyll somewhere between the 4th and 6th centuries. Gaelic then moved throughout Scotland and is believed to have completely replaced Pictish around the 9th century. The language is still spoken by around 1% of Scotland today, and there are now initiatives to preserve the language as well as its popularity on Duolingo, allowing many people around the globe to connect to their Scottish heritage.
Gaelic was also influenced by the Brittonic languages, which include Pictish and Cumbric, keeping certain words such as monadh (mountain) and preas (bush).
Scots
Scots is part of the Germanic language family within the Anglic language variety. Scots can most commonly be heard in the Scottish Lowlands, and this isn’t new. Before English became the most commonly used language in the country, both Scots and Gaelic existed simultaneously, with the former being used in the Southeast and the latter In the Northwest. This language developed in parallel with English from Early Middle English.
While Scots and Gaelic developed from entirely different language families, they share certain commonalities in syntax, phonology and vocabulary. As they coexisted, it only makes sense for them to have influenced each other in varying degrees, but which specific aspects of the accent were influenced and which were naturally developed is still being determined. What is known is that Gaelic did affect Scots in some way and that the distinctive lilt and musicality in the Scottish accent today comes from Gaelic influences too – many Scottish words and phrases are pronounced with a distinct rise and fall in pitch with a song-like quality.
Scottish English
Standard Scottish English is the current norm in Scotland, and this has been the case since the 18th century. Beginning in the 16th century, The Scots language became increasingly anglicised, with more literary works combining Scots and Scottish English. The Union of the Crowns in 1603 was the main reason for this change, with the Scottish gentry having increased contact with English speakers. In 1707, English became Scotland’s official written language, aligning with England due to the Union of Parliaments. Since then, the Scottish people have generally used a combination of both Scots and Scottish English in their speech.
The pronunciation of the current Scottish accent has many key characteristics that directly come from Scots. This includes using fewer vowel sounds, meaning ‘caught’ and ‘cot’ is pronounced the same, unlike in England. The accent is also known for its rhotic rolling Rs, and an emphasis on this sound closely resembles the Spanish accent but stands out amongst the accents in the UK. While the language changed, the accent generally remained the same between Scots and Scottish English.
Each language used in Scotland influenced the next, creating a development timeline that led to how we sound now.
Recent Changes in the Scottish Accent
In the modern day, the Scottish accent is becoming more distinct, with many young people in Scotland actively trying to preserve and promote the use of traditional Scottish vocabulary and grammar. This is particularly true in the Gaelic-speaking communities of the western Isles and Highlands, where the Gaelic language and culture are still an important part of everyday life.
Scotland’s accents are currently going through two significant changes: one reflected over the whole UK and one only local to Scotland.
As the majority of the UK has been consuming media set in London more frequently, it has been found that the “f” sound has been slowly replacing the “th” sound in words like “think”. It has also been noticed that the “l” in words like “apple” or “people” has been dropped to create “appo” and “peopo”.
In Scotland alone, the rolling R’s may be lost, with studies finding that the younger generations are pronouncing them more softly and, therefore, they have become more challenging to hear. This has been a pattern with those born in and after the 80s and is believed to be dialect internal, meaning that these changes come from inside Scotland rather than external influences.
Regional Differences
Over time, the Scottish accent has also been influenced by a variety of other factors, including regional dialects, social class, and geography. The geography of Scotland is varied and diverse, with the northern and western areas of the country being more mountainous and rural, while the eastern and southern parts are generally flatter and more urbanised.
This has resulted in the development of distinct regional accents in different parts of the country, with the northern and western accents being more guttural and pronounced and the eastern and southern accents being more refined and less distinctive. This can be traced back to when the Highlands predominantly spoke Gaelic, and the Lowlands generally spoke Scots – completely different languages still impacting the modern Scottish accent in different areas.
In relation to the voice over world, this often results in Northern accents being chosen for their charm and cultural appeal, while Southern accents are often chosen for their clarity and understandability, benefiting international content.
Conclusion
The Scottish accent is a complex and fascinating aspect of Scottish culture and history. It has been influenced by a variety of factors, including geography, history, and cultural influences, and has undergone significant changes over time. Today, the Scottish accent is once again becoming more distinctive, with many young Scots working to preserve the unique aspects of the way Scottish people sound.
One of the most distinctive features of the Scottish voice is the variety of unique vocabulary and Scots slang terms. These words and phrases are often used alongside more standard English vocabulary, creating a unique blend of languages unique to Scotland and intrinsically part of our history. Beyond Scotland, the number of British influences on the Scottish accent also creates a compelling reason to use our talent across the rest of the UK.
Ultimately, the languages used in Scotland’s history have all contributed to the current form of speech and accent. Certain phonological characteristics of the Scottish voice have lasted the test of time, standing firm and surviving in the face of linguistic and cultural change. This is why Scottish voices will always pair perfectly with a strong brand or a solid message. Using a Scottish voice over in your messaging shows that your, like the accent itself, will endure.
Discover Scottish Talent
