Scottish Word of the Week: Dreich ‘rains’ supreme as Scotland’s most iconic word

Unsurprisingly, given that complaining about it is our favourite national pastime, a term used to describe Scottish weather was voted the nation’s ‘most iconic Scots word’.

The Scots word “dreich” is typically used to describe damp, grey weather which is the meteorological norm for Scotland.

Scotland’s rich tapestry of heritage languages persists despite English being the nation’s lingua franca since the 18th century. Whether it be Gaelic which is closely associated with the Scottish Highlands or Scots which has ties to the lowlands and influential Scotsmen like Robert Burns, our native languages live on even in an anglo-centric environment.

In fact, if you know where to look - or what to listen out for - Scottish vocabulary can be found peppered throughout every nook and corner of the nation e.g., place names on Scottish maps, beloved words, sayings and dialects we hear locally and even popular TV franchises like Outlander are in on it (“Dinna fash, sassenach!”)

In 2019, the Scottish Book Trust ran a poll as part of Book Week Scotland to discover the most iconic Scots word. Within the top ten results we saw classics such as “beastie”, “glaikit” and “scunnert” but in the end the word that came out on top was the beloved “dreich”.

While most know that it refers to the Scottish weather we so often enjoy, many are not aware that it is not exclusively used in this context.

So, for our ‘Scottish Word of the Week’ here is an overview of the term “dreich” including its meaning(s), origin and pronunciation.

Pictured above on a dreich day are the ruins of Ardvreck Castle on the eastern banks of Loch Assynt in Sutherland, Scotland.

Definition of “Dreich”

According to the Dictionaries of the Scots Language, the adjective “dreich” refers to “dreary, cheerless, bleak” weather but may be used in other contexts too. For example, a long-winded speech, tedious journey or tardy individual can all be thought of as dreich.

How to use “dreich” in a sentence

“Dreich” functions like most adjectives we are used to e.g. what a dreich day we’re having with all this rain. A historical example comes from Alexander Gray’s ‘A Book of Poems’ published in 1924 which reads: “In the cauld dreich days when it’s nicht on the back o’ four.”

Pronunciation of “Dreich”

If you know how to pronounce loch (not lake) as Scots do with the breathy “loh” delivery then you’re set for dreich which is pronounced like “dreech” with that same sound at the end.

“Dreich” Origins

It is linked to the Scots language which evolved from the tongue of the Angles who arrived in Scotland around AD 600. The Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries notes that it corresponds to the Old Norse “drjúgr” which means ‘enduring, lasting’ - just as the dreich weather does.