he Scotch may be recognised at the first word by the very strong,[F] sonorous accent with which they speak English. It is like a German accent with the r's of the Normans. In the North of Scotland, the accent is so Teutonic that one seems to be listening to Germans talking English. The letters b, d, and v are changed into p, t, and f. The ch is perfectly German at the end of a word, such as loch. Ght becomes cht, and is pronounced as in the German word nacht.
Certainly there is nothing insurmountably difficult to understand in all this; but that rogue of a Donald has a way of eating the ends of many of his words, of running the mutilated remains in together with such bewildering rapidity, and accompanying the whole with such a tremendous rolling of r's, that the stranger is completely staggered until his ear grows accustomed to the jargon.
The English language is composed of about forty-three thousand words, out of which fourteen thousand are of Germanic origin, and twenty-nine thousand have come into it from the Latin through the Norman dialect. But in Scotland you will hear the people using numbers of modern French words, which are no part of the English vocabulary. These words are remnants of the close relations that existed between France and Scotland in the sixteenth century. They are mostly heard now in the mouths of the older inhabitants.
For nearly a hundred years past the English have been continually borrowing words from us (a loan which we return with interest), but they are words which will only be found in use among the upper classes. The case is different in Scotland. There the French words were adopted by the people, and it is the people that still use them, and not the better educated classes, for these latter avoid them as vulgar. In a hundred years they will probably have fallen into disuse. It may not therefore be out of place to give here a list, which I think is pretty complete, of the French words that form the last trace of an alliance which has left to this day a very pronounced sentiment of affection for France in the hearts of the Scotch.
There were doubtless many others in use formerly, but I have collected only those which may still be heard in everyday use among the Scotch populace:
| Scotch. | English. | French. |
|---|---|---|
| Ashet | Dish | Assiette |
| Aumrie | Cupboard | Armoire |
| Bonnaille | Parting glass | Bon aller |
| Bourd | Jest | Bourde |
| Braw | Fine | Brave |
| Caraff | Decanter | Carafe |
| Certy | Certainly | Certes |
| Dambrod | Draught board | Dames |
| Dementit | Derange | Démentir |
| Dorty | Sulky | Dureté |
| Douce | Mild | Doux |
| Dour | Obstinate | Dur |
| Fash oneself (to) | Get angry (to) | Fâcher (se) |
| Fashious | Troublesome | Fâcheux |
| Gardy loo | Look out | Gardez l'eau (gare l'eau) |
| Gardyveen | Wine bin | Garde-vin |
| Gean | Cherry | Guigne |
| Gigot | Leg of mutton | Gigot |
| Gou | Taste | Goût |
| Grange | Granary | Grange |
| Grosserts | Gooseberries | Groseilles |
| Gysart | Disguised | Guise |
| Haggis | Hatched meat | Hachis |
| Hogue | Tainted | Haut goût |
| Jalouse (to) | Suspect | Jalouser |
| Jupe | Skirt | Jupe |
| Kimmer | Gossip | Commère |
| Mouter | Mixture of corn | Mouture |
| Pantufles | Slippers | Pantoufles |
| Pertricks | Partridges | Perdrix |
| Petticoat tails | Cakes | Petits gatelles (gâteaux) |
| Pouch | Poche | |
| Prosh, madame | Come, madam | Aprochez, madame |
| Reeforts | Radishes | Raiforts |
| Ruckle | Heap (of stones) | Recueil |
| Serviter | Napkin | Serviette |
| Sucker | Sugar | Sucre |
| Tassie | Cup | Tasse |
| Ule | Oi | Huile |
| Verity | Truth | Vérité |
| Vizzy | Aim | Viser |
These are not, as may be seen, words borrowed from our milliners and dressmakers; they are terms that express the necessaries of life, and which the Scotch housewives have not yet forgotten. They prove in an irrefutable manner that the two nations mixed and knew each other intimately.
The language spoken by the Scotch lends itself to humour. Their picturesque pronunciation gives their conversation a piquancy which defies imitation. A Scotch anecdote told in Scotch language never misses its effect. Tell it in English, or any other language, and it loses all its raciness.