Scottish word of the week: The Glasgow accent

Yes, according to the dictionary my word was not recognized, a foreign entity if you will. But the question I ask myself today is, foreign to who?

So in this article I am going to educate. Educate those who deem the language of Glasgow (and of many other parts of Scotland) foreign or dare I say slang.

I started off exploring more of the Glesga slang when I took over the twitter account @GlesgaGobs and found that some of the differences in dialect and tone caused quite a few arguments and ruffled a few feathers. In Scotland there are many different ways of saying the same thing. An American and a Scottish person can be standing in the same room, having conversation, sharing interests with no problems whatsoever, yet two Scottish people are struggling to communicate because one says “I know” and the other says “A ken”. Which one is correct? They both are. Being brought up in Scotland, English is our first taught language, the first language we learn to read in, to write in. But Scottish is the first language we hear - it is our mother voice - it is home. Do not kill it because it doesn’t sound quite as delicate on the ear, embrace it and use it when need be. If we forget whit it’s aw aboot, then how can we possibly know what it is all about?

AYE

The word means yes but more often than not is mainly used to acknowledge that you have been listening or are empathetic e.g. “Aye that’s terrible son”

GEEZ A

This phrase is used when we desire something, it is a way of saying “please, may I have?”

HUJAMAHAJI

I learned this one from my mother and to be quite honest with you, between my brothers, sisters, cousins etc. we still haven’t fully understood what this word means. It is a remembering word – if thinking clearly the word might be ‘table’ or ‘book’ or ‘door’ but sometimes you have to say this word a few times before you remember the word. Just be patient, it will come to you.

UHR YE GAWN OOT

Again, pretty simple - this phrase is: “are you going out?”

OTHER GLASGOW WORDS OF NOTE

Auldyin - an old person

Besom - a spirited or forceful woman

Bowfin - very smelly

Buckie - Buckfast Tonic Wine

Chib - a knife or offensive weapon

Close - the common hallway of a tenement block of flats

Gallus - bold and confident

Glesga Kiss - headbutt

Geggie - mouth

Jiggered - exhausted

Keep the heid - do not panic

Laldy - to make a big effort

Nippy sweetie - sharp-toungued or bad-tempered woman

Numpty - fool

Nyaff - a nasty piece of work

Rammy - argument

Randan - drinking spree

Senga - a female ned and also the name Agnes spelt backwords

Square go - a physical fight

Stooshie - a controversy

Ya bas - b*stard or ‘I am very displeased with you’