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  • Scotticisms
    • Source 1 : A list of Scotticisms by David Hume, first printed 1752
    • Source 2 : Lectures on the art of speaking English, 1761
    • Source 3 : A society for promoting the reading and speaking of English, 1761
    • Source 4 : Observations on the Scottish dialect by Sir John Sinclair, 1782
    • Source 5 : Teaching correct English to the young, 1799
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    • Source 7 : In support of the Scots language, 1799
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Scotticisms

Source 1 : A list of Scotticisms by David Hume, published in the ‘Scots Magazine’, 1760 (first printed in 1752)

Extract from periodical (NLS shelfmark: Sc.Mag [22])

Most of the key Scottish Enlightenment thinkers used English, rather than Latin, the traditional language of scholarship, or Scots, to communicate their ideas. To make their work appealing and accessible to an English and European audience, these Scottish writers and thinkers wanted to comply with the English used in London.

Key thinkers and improvers, such as James Beattie and Sir John Sinclair, produced their own lists of ‘Scotticisms’, or Scottish usages which should be avoided.

Concern about using ‘correct’ English

David Hume’s list was one of the earliest. It was first printed in 1752, and later published in the ‘Scots Magazine’.

Hume’s concern with using ‘correct’ English is expressed in his correspondence, and it was said by Lord Monboddo that Hume died confessing not his sins but his Scotticisms.

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Transcript

[pages 686-687]

Vol. xxii   Appendix 1760

Shall and will, these and those, &c. explained.

Scotticisms; with some English words explained.

SCOTTICISMS.

[ These Scotticisms were annexed to the Political Discourses of David Hume, Esq; printed at Edinburgh in 1752 [xiv. 56]; but are not continued in the later editions of that book.  As they may, however, be useful to such of our countrymen as would avoid Scotticisms in speaking or writing, we presume that our republishing them will be approved of. ]

Will, in the first person, as, I will walk, we will walk, expresses the intention or resolution of the person, along with the future event: in the second and third person, as, You will, he will, they will, it expresses the future action or event, without comprehending or excluding the volition.

Shall, in the first person, whether singular or plural, expresses the future action or event, without excluding or comprehending the intention or resolution:  but in the second or third person, it marks a necessity, and commonly a necessity proceeding from the person who speaks; as, He shall walk, You shall repent it.

These variations seem to have proceeded from a politeness in the English; who, in speaking to others, or of others, made use of the term will, which implies volition, even where the event may be the subject of necessity and constraint; and in speaking of themselves, made use of the term shall, which implies constraint, even though the event may be the object of choice.

Wou’d and shou’d are conjunctive moods, subject to the same rule:  only we may observe, that in a sentence where there is a condition expressed, and a consequence of that condition, the former always requires shou’d,  and the latter wou’d, in the second and third persons; as, If he shou’d fall, he wou’d break his leg, &c.

These  is the plural of this, those of that:  the former therefore expresses what is near, the latter, what is more remote; as in these lines of the Duke of Buckingham:

Philosophers and poets vainly strove,

In ev’ry age, the lumpish mass to move:  [THESE,

But THOSE were pedants if compar’d with

Who knew not only to instruct but please

Where a relative is to follow, and the subject has not been mentioned immediately before, those is always required:  Those observations which he made; Those kingdoms which Alexander conquered.

In the verbs which end in t, or te, we frequently omit ed in the preter-perfect, and in the participle; as, He operate, It was cultivate.  Milton says, In thought more elevate; but he is the only author who uses that expression.

Notice should not be used as a verb.  The proper phrase is take notice.  Yet I find Lord Shaftesbury uses noticed, the participle:  and unnoticed is very common.

Hinder to do, is Scotch.  The English phrase is, hinder from doing.  Yet Milton says, Hinder’d not Satan to pervert the mind.  Book 9.

SCOTCH ENGLISH
conform to conformable to
friends and acquaintances friends and acquaintance
maltreat abuse
advert to attend to
proven, improven, approven proved, improved, approved
pled pleaded
incarcerate imprison
tear to pieces tear in pieces
drunk, run drank, ran
fresh weather open weather
tender sickly
in the long run at long run
notwithstanding of that notwithstanding that
contented himself to do contented himself with doing
tis a question if tis a question whether
discretion civility
with child to a man with child by a man
out of hand presently
simply impossible absolutely impossible
a park an inclosure
in time coming in time to come
nothing else no other thing
mind it remember it
denuded divested
severals several
some better something better
anent with regard to
allenarly solely
alongst along (Yet the English say both amid and amidst, among and amongst.)
evenly even
as I shall answer I protest or declare
cause him do it cause him to do it (Yet it is good English to say, make him do it.<)
marry upon marry to
learn teach
there, where thither, whither
effectuate effect (This word in English means to effect with pains and difficulty)
a wright a carpenter
Yet it is good English to say, a wheel-wright &c
defunct deceased
evite avoid
part with child miscarry
notour notorious
to want it { to be without a thing,
{ even though it be
{ not desireable
to be difficulted to be puzzled
rebuted discouraged by repulses
for ordinary usually
think shame ashamed
in favours of in favour of
dubiety doubtfulness
prejudge hurt
compete enter into competition
heritable hereditary
to remeed to remedy
bankier banker
adduce a proof produce a proof
superplus surplus
forfaulture forfeiture
in no event in no case
common soldiers private men
big with a man great with a man
bygone past
debitor debtor
exeemed exempted
yesternight last night
big coat great coat
a chimney a grate
annualrent interest
tenible argument good argument
amissing missing
to condescend upon to specify
to discharge to forbid
to extinguish an obligation to cancel an obligation
to depone to depose
a compliment a present
to enquire at a man to enquire of a man
to be angry at a man to be angry with a man
to send an errand to send of an errand
to furnish goods to him to furnish him with goods
to open up to open, or lay open
Thucydide, Herodote, Sueton Thucydides, Herodotus, Suetonius
butter and bread bread and butter
pepper and vinegar vinegar and pepper
paper, pen, and ink pen, ink, and paper
readily probably
on a sudden of a sudden
as ever I saw as I ever saw
for my share for my part
misgive fail
rather chuse to buy as sell rather chuse to buy than sell
deduce deduct
lookt over the window lookt out at the window
a pretty enough girl a pretty girl enough
tis a week since he left this tis a week since he left this place
come in to the fire come near the fire
to take off a new coat to make up a new suit
alwise always
cut out his hair cut off his hair
cry him call him
to crave to dun, to ask payment
to get a stomach to get an appetite
vacance vacation

On this subject a correspondent writes, that the Scotch use the verb behove personally; whereas, for two hundred years, I behove (for it behoves me) has not been English.

To this we shall add Johnson’s explanation of this and two or three other words.

TO BEHOVE,  v. n.

To be fit; to be meet; either with respect to duty, necessity, or convenience.

It is used only impersonally with it.

NARRATE,  v. a.

To relate; to tell.  A word only used in Scotland.

NOTWITHSTANDING.  conj

[ This word is properly a participial adjective, as it is compounded of not and withstanding; and answers exactly to the Latin non obstante.  It is most properly and analogically used in the ablative case absolute with a noun; as, He is rich notwithstanding his loss.  It is not so proper to say, He is rich notwithstanding he has lost much.  Yet this mode of writing is too frequent:  Addison has used it.  But when a sentence follows, it is more grammatical to insert that; as, He is rich notwithstanding that he has lost much.  When notwithstanding is used absolutely, the expression is elliptical, this or that being understood. ]

  1. Without hindrance or obstruction from.
  2. Although.  This use is not proper.
  3. Nevertheless; however.

TO PREJUDGE.  v.a.

To determine any question beforehand; generally to condemn beforehand.

PREJUDICE.  n.s.

  1. Prepossession; judgement formed beforehand without examination.  It is used for prepossession in favour of any thing or against it.
  2. Mischief; detriment; hurt; injury.  This sense in only accidental or consequential; a bad thing being called a prejudice, only because prejudice is commonly a bad thing; and is not derived from the original or etymology of the word:   it were therefore better to use it less;  perhaps prejudice ought never to be applied to any mischief which does not imply some partiality or prepossession.

TO PREJUDICE.  v. a.

  1. To prepossess with unexamined opinions; to fill with prejudices.
  2. To obstruct or injure by prejudices previously raised.
  3. To injure, to hurt; to diminish; to impair; to be detrimental to.  This sense, as in the noun, is often improperly extended to meanings that have no relation to the original sense:  who can read with patience of an ingredient that prejudices a medicine?

TO SUCCUMB.  v. n.

To yield; to sink under any difficulty.  Not in use, except among the Scotch.


Discussion Points

  1. After reading Source 1, what do you understand by the expression ‘Scotticisms’?
  2. Why do you think someone like David Hume might be so concerned with how Scots wrote and spoke English?
  1. Some of these expressions are unique to Scots. Are any of them expressions you would use yourself, or have you heard people using them?
  • Previous
  • Next
  • Source 1
    A list of Scotticisms by David Hume, first printed 1752
  • Source 2
    Lectures on the art of speaking English, 1761
  • Source 3
    A society for promoting the reading and speaking of English, 1761
  • Source 4
    Observations on the Scottish dialect by Sir John Sinclair, 1782
  • Source 5
    Teaching correct English to the young, 1799
  • Source 6
    The richness of the Scots language, 1792
  • Source 7
    In support of the Scots language, 1799

See the discussion points

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