Robert McColl Millar, Professor in Linguistics and Scottish Language at Aberdeen, reflects on shifts in Scots words and phrases over time, “Languages change, as does society. Previously regular occupations become rare. Words change meaning or cease to be used; other words are coined or cannibalised to reflect present realities”. He concludes, “This piece is not intended to be a Jeremiad. There are many things we can all do to maintain the local distinctiveness of our native speech forms; not least, we can speak our language to each other and to younger people — particularly children. But we also need to document what is happening and how — as soon as possible…The Scots language is the possession of Scots speakers everywhere. The cataloguing, analysis and preservation is also our responsibility.
UPDATE New study of the Scots Language (Scotshaunbuik 12 Mar 2019)