South Northern Scots

South Northern Scots is a variety of Northern Scots spoken around Angus and the Mearns. South Northern Scots has received significant influence from the nearby Central Scots dialect, largely affecting vowel pronunciation, though the more "traditional" pronunciations will be shown here, with notes when variation occurs.

Phonology and orthography

Consonants

• "ch", like in other varieties, is typically realized as /x/ in medial and final positions (as in "loch", "dreich", and "nicht"), but /t͡ʃ/ initially (as in "chield" and "cheetie") and after "r" (as in "airch"), otherwise "tch" is used for the latter sound (as in "catch" and "pootch").
• "nch" is still /nʃ/, as in other varieties.
• "nd" behaves as in other dialects, usually simplifying to /n/.
• "ld" behaves unlike other dialects, typically remaining as a full /ld/.
• "wh" is usually /f/ in interrogatives, but /ʍ/ elsewhere.
• "gn" and "kn" are /gn/ and /tn/ respectively.
• "th" is /θ/ or /ð/.

Vowels

Vowel length is largely dictated by the Scottish Vowel Length Rule.

• Unstressed vowels are typically /ə/.
• "a" is usually /a/, but from Dundee to Arbroath, before /b/ and /g/, it may be realized as /ɛ/.
• Final "a", initial and medial "au", and final "aw", are /aː/, but /ɔː/ is spreading in Angus.
• Inital and medial "ai", "aCe" (that is, "a-e" with a consonant between), final "ae", and final "ay", tend to be /e/.
  • Note, however, that "ane" tends to be /in/
  • Also note final "ae" is sometimes /ø/ (see "ui" for the variations, noting the Mearns use /i/ rather than /e/, while coastal varieties keep /e/), or /ə/.
• "ea" is usually /i/, but may be /e/ (as in "beast" or "tea")
• "ee", "ie", and "ei" are typically /i/.
• "e" and "i" are typically /ɛ/.
  • Note that "i" is instead /ʌ/ after "w" and "wh".
• "o" and "oa" are both /o/, merging /ɔ/ and /o/.
• "oo", "ou", and "uCe" are typically /u/.
• "u" is typically /ʌ/.
• "ui" is highly variable:
  • Inland it is typically /ø/,
  • In West Angus it tends to be /y/,
  • In Kincardinshire (The Mearns) and along the coast it tends towards /e/,
  • However, these are often replaced by the Central Scots pronunciation.
• "eu" and "ew" tend to be /ju/.
• "iCe", "yCe", "ey", and "ye" are typically /əi/ in short environments, and /aɪ~ae/ in long ones.
• "oi" and "oy" are usually /oi/.
• "ow(e)" is typically /ʌu/.
• Diminutive "ie" and adverbial/adjectival "y"/"ie" are /i/ if the previous vowel is /i/ or /əi/, or if the previous consonant is /b, d, ð, g, v, ʒ/ or /z/, otherwise /ɪ/ or /e/.
• Adjectival "fu" is usually /fɛ/.
• The negative "na" is /nə/.
• Adverbial "ly" is /li/, /lɪ/, or /le/, following the same rules as "ie" above.

External links

• https://www.scots-online.org/mobile/grammar/sn_scots.php