Teach yourself Doric - the little known Northeast Scottish Language
90Aberdeen
Doric? A Scottish Language?
Prior to my arrival in Scotland, I was aware that living in new countries means getting used to new accents. Many do realize that the Scottish accent can be quite strong, especially when its an accent from the highlands, or perhaps a Glaswegian accent.
However, I live in Aberdeen. The third largest city in Scotland with a population just over 200 000. Aberdeen is an old shipping town with a language all of it's own - and that language is called Doric. Okay perhaps a bit of an exaggeration. Not everyone speaks Doric, nor is it a distinctly different language. A better description of Doric is that it is a dialect. You will see what I mean...
Getting started with Learning Doric
While living in Aberdeen, I've taken on a few different temp jobs. I remember with my first position, which I started only a couple weeks after arrival, I was quite enthused when I started hearing "aye" instead of "yes" or "yeah" or "uhhuh". A wonderful little Scottish phrase to indicate an affirmative response, or merely just that they're listening.
Now It's time to learn Doric
We'll start with some question words.
faa? who, whom?
faan, fin? when?
faar? where?
faas? whose?
fit? what?
fit wye? why, (sometimes) how?
foo? how, (sometimes) why?
Visiting North East Scotland?
- Your Scotland Guide
Guide to Travels through Scotland, with must sees, transportation guides, tips for budget travel. - Access Aberdeen: Information on services provided by Aberdeen City Council
Aberdeen City Council. Aberdeen is a thriving, cosmopolitan port in the North-east of Scotland. It is not only the Offshore Oil Capital but is also a Global Energy City. - Personal Scotland Blog
If you are looking for more information on Scotland trips, especially Aberdeen area, follow the link for some suggestions.
Doric weather forcast
Some Doric Idioms
Dinna get yir dander up!
Keep calm!
Ye dinna tell me!
How remarkable!
As thick in the heid as dirt in a bottle
Lacking intelligence
He jist opens his moo an lets his belly rummle
He talks nonsense
Faan's she better?
When is her baby due?
More on Aberdeen
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Greetings, Responses and Small Talk
Foo's yirsel; fit like; foo are ye deeing?
How are you?
Nae bad. Fit like yirsel?
Well, thank you. How are you?
Gie's yir craak
Tell me your news
Fit's aa the claik
What's the tittle tattle
We'll need tae hae a newse
We must have a chat
Came awaa intae the body o the kirk
Come and join the rest
Additional Sayings from Commentors (Thanks!)
Mony a mickle maks a muckle! (Many smaa things mak a big thing)
Sair fecht for a half loaf! (Its a hard struggle for little reward)
Nae cast a cloot or may be oot! (Dont put yer winter clies awa till efter May, ciz it can still be cal)
A great Scottish/Doric poem - Haggis, Haggis Neeps & Tatties - complete with subtitles!
Time for some fun? Translate this...
A phrase to translate into English - post your responses in the Comments section!
Fowk bide in hooses. Is your hoose a big hoose? Ay, it is. Oor hoose is an affa big hoose. Is the Toon Hoose a smaa hoose? Na, it's nae. 'E Toon Hoose is nae a smaa hoose. 'E Toon Hoose is nae a hoose avaa. 'E Toon Hoose is faar ye get a cooncil hoose. Fit's mair, it's faar 'e cooncil sets. The kirk is God's hoose. It's teem maist o the wik, bit only half teem on a Sunday. A shoppie is faar ye get yir messages. Ye pit yir messages intae pokes an pit 'e pokes intil a plastic buggie.
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Yes I too love it! A previous coworker gave me a book on Doric so that I could understand her better :)
It is good fun here! Went to a football match last night, and I must say, extreme profanities are for more entertaining to listen to with the Scottish accent! Instead of getting annoyed, it makes me smirk a little!
Try going to an Rugby match when Ireland and Scotland are playing!!!
Funny how I have lived Ireland and the UK for almost 40 years yet have never been to Scotland - would love to though.
I love the accent - it is just so funny.
Hope you continue to enjoy your trip.
Fit Lyke'
Just to let you know' thers a Doric Channel with Poems and learning Doric Words on youtube here's the Link--http://www.youtube.com/kintakintyea
Aye the Doric wye o' spikin canna be beat by ony 'hing else quine! But it gets drummed oot a the bairns noo 'adays ciz its treated mair like slang thin a language. Drivin oot by bappit gypes thit dinna unnerstan fit its a aboot!
Gweed on ye, and hope you keep enjoyin bidin here. Some Doric sayings for ye:
mony a mickle maks a muckle! (Many smaa things mak a big thing)
sair fecht for a half loaf! (Its a hard struggle for little reward)
nae cast a cloot or may be oot! (Dont put yer winter clies awa till efter May, ciz it can still be cal)
The further North you go, there are many variations in the language and dialects that can be related to Doric.
Great post!
Thanks for the additions Gordon & Strawbs4ever! I've included the additional sayings in this post now :)
Hello, please can you tell me, please, how to say in Doric, Daffodil(the flower)?
Many thanks,
Fátima
I wish I could, but I don't know that one! Maybe someone else who reads this article and knows will post it for you.
Daffodil is a daffie
Aye' aat's reicht Seumas' eih floo'r caa'd Daffodil eis fit we caa' a Daffie!
An weel deen tae yea "ForTheInterim" ma qwyne fur helpen tae keep oor mither toung alive!!
Gordon
Aye an e sweet william's named efter e English king Willie o Orange es caad a stinkin willie. Nyowse jist in - some chiels in brussels fae e EU Commission hae pit thir heids egither an decided Doric is nae a dialect o English bit is a lied oan its ane a wee bit like e auld Dutch an German wis like ane anither. A mean faa can tell me e meanin o e sayin "weel vrocht grun"? Tell me fit wee bittie o English aat es hehehe. (reverting to English) Thanks for starting this page I am always glad to see visitors who love the mother tongue of the North East.
fit yi sayin yi bass ;)
Although I live in the US now, I grew up in Strichen and speak Doric (wanted to make sure I still remembered it)...
Almosed fell down laughing over the weather report... Buying rock in Fraserburgh classic!
I'm the Chaplain for the Clan Leslie Society International (Came awaa an hae a newse on Facebook!!), and we Leslies hail from the Doric-speaking region of Scotland. This is a wonderful site and a great learning resource to those of us not reared speaking Doric. Many, many thanks!
hey justin i grew up in strichen too
hello everybody, my friend has birthday soon and I was wondering how to say "Happy Birthday" and "Nice to meat you"? thank you :)
We got it battered out of us at school and I live near Southend on Sea now but my grandchildren and visitors are always taken aback when I'm on the phone to my brother or sister in Keith or Buckie - the good old mither tongue never dies. Ahm fair teen wi this site.
Hi, how do you say Happy New Year in Doric? I am Australian living in Aberdeenshire and want use the Doric dialect as I love the sound of it. Thanks.
Doric is a dialect all right, but not a dialect of English! It's a conservative dialect of Scots, which is a separate language from English, though in practice Scots and English are mixed together. In the southwest US, people codeswitch between English and Spanish, and you can often tell which bits are which if you speak one or the other. But if they were switching back and forth between Spanish and Portuguese, it'd be harder to tell what's what. That's why some people thing Scots, or Doric, is a dialect of English, or a form of slang. It sounds similar to English because it's so closely related. Look up "Scots language" in Wikipedia (or check out the Scots Wikipedia!) for more info.
Eberdeen my erse! Awa an bile yer heed!
C. C. Riter 3 years ago
haha, I love this stuff. I can read some of it and understand. Aye. You can read some of it in my Flying Walrus and a Naked Angel hub as 2C's, my other ego on here. It's in the second part of that that I and god converse in Scot Gaelic. You may understand after reading why I call toes dandelions, pretty ones anyway. Gie's a kiss, hehe
So you must like it there huh? Afraid they'd run me out since I'm a Campbell. LOL