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12. Exclamations and ‘markers’
Exclamations
Scots has a remarkable range of colourful exclamations, several derived from religious phrases e.g. michtie (Almighty God!), crivvens (Christ defend us!), fegs (Faith!). A few other common ones are:
| Ach! impatienceAwa wi ye! disbelief
Ay ay disbelief Blethers! Bletheration! disbelief Caa cannie! Watch out! Crivvens! astonishment Feech! disgust Fegs! surprise Gaun yersel! Go/come on! Guid kens! puzzlement Haivers! disbelief |
Haud on! Stop!Hievens! wonder
Hish! Be quiet! Jings! surprise Mercie me! surprise Michtie! alarm Niver! disbelief Och! impatience Wheesht! Be quiet! Yer grannie! disbelief)
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You really know you are a Scots speaker when you start saying these spontaneously. Oh and don’t forget real Scots shout Heech!, Hooch! or Heuch! whenever dancing to a reel.
Discourse markers
These are important wee words and short phrases dropped into speech to establish a rapport between the speakers and generally keep the conversation going.
Ye ken, och weel, A’m seein him the morn onieweys, like.
Scots markers include words phrases such as
| ochweel
A/ye ken oniewey(s) in fack noo aye oh/och aye aye weel naw ken (often in a final position) |
Like (in a final position as in the example) is also a common marker in some dialects but thought of as ‘colloquial’.