ULSTER-SCOTS
RESEARCH
CENTRE

What use is Ulster-Scots?

There are a number of good reasons for taking an interest in Ulster-Scots. Language is as good a historical source as any, and getting acquainted with our linguistic habits more fully will lead to a much better understanding of the links between Ireland and Scotland and how it has shaped society on both sides of the North Channel and beyond. Ulster-Scots speech is part of an important cultural revival, which will give people more confidence in their customs and way of life. Ulster-Scots literature, which is part of this, is also an invaluable historical resource, as it is a primary source for the events and opinions of people living in Ulster over the past few centuries - for that reason, as much as any, maintenance of the language today is essential, otherwise this primary source will be lost. And of course, a thorough knowledge of how Ulster-Scots is spoken and how it has come to be spoken the way it is, would be invaluable when learning other languages, such as Gaelic or German.

What literature is there?
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