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Scots Cant

Frae Wikipedia, the free beuk o knawledge

Scots Cant (aften simply Cant) is a cant spak in Scotland bi Scots Travellers.[1]

Classification

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Although a certain amoont o Romani wirds hae entered Scots Cant thru intermarriage wi Brítish Romanis, Scots Travellers are an autochthonous group o travelling fowk an no tae be ramfeeselt wi Breetish New Age Travellers. Scots Cant essentially remains a Germanic leid.[1] The Goidelic (Erse an Gaelic) element in Scottish Cant is put onywhaur atween 0.8% an 20%.[1]

Uise o auld Scots

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Scots Cant uises terms derived frae Scots which are nae langer uised in Modren Scots as spak bi non-Travellers, such as mowdit "buried", mools "earth", baith frae muild(s), an gellie, frae gailey (galley), "a bothy".[1]

Gaelic influences

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Loans frae Gaelic include wirds like:[1]

  • cluishes "ears" (Gaelic cluasan or cluais, a dative form o cluas "ear")
  • shan "bad" (Gaelic sean "auld")

Romani influences

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There are Romani loans such as an the percentage o Romani lexial borraeins is said tae be up tae 50% o the lexicon; some examples are:[1]

  • gadgie "man" (Romani gadžó "a non-Romani person")
  • pannie "watter" (Romani paní)

References

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  1. a b c d e f Kirk, J. & Ó Baoill, D. Travellers and their Language (2002) Queen's University Belfast ISBN 0-85389-832-4

See an aa

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