ULSTER-SCOTS
RESEARCH
CENTRE

What is Ulster Scots?

Danner, deave, gunk, jawbox, oxter, scunner, targe, thole, wee - there is not a person in Northern Ireland whose speech is not influenced by Ulster Scots in some way. And it doesn't stop with vocabulary: common Ulsterisms such as 'see me?' and 'so/sae it is' form part of the Ulster Scots tongue spoken all over NE Ulster, from Down to Donegal.

Ulster Scots is the name given to the speech of people in rural areas of the north and east of Ulster. Its broadest form has been recognized as a language, but it has an influence on all aspects of language in the province of Ulster, and also in many areas of North America. Basically, ye'r nearder Ulster Scotch bys ye'r thinkan - you're nearer Ulster Scots than you think!

Where does Ulster Scots come from?
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