Names in Scots - countries abroad

As with personal and place names, the use of names in Scots for countries has been smothered in modern times because officialdom in Scotland has preferred the English forms. A particular trait of Scots country names is that many end in –ae or –y rather than the convention in English which often ends names with Latin –a or –ia (meaning ‘land’ or ‘place’). So, for example, English ‘Africa’ and ‘Russia’ are ‘Africae’ and ‘Roushy’ in the Scots equivalents (though you might also see 'Roushie' or 'Rooshie'). In this trait Scots owes something to both Dutch and French influence. Also, in forming adjectives and language names, Scots mirrors somewhat the rule in Dutch which adds an –s. For example, to describe something as Scottish, in Scots, we add an –s to Scot, giving us ‘Scots’. We can say that a Scotsman speaks Scots (in English we say a Scottish man speaks Scottish). The equivalent in Dutch is ‘Schots’. Scots uses both –s and –ish endings for adjectives and language names (see below). Country names in Scots can be found in a number of places including the Scottish National Dictionary and also within the many Scots language newspaper articles written in 19th and early 20th century newspapers in Scotland. See, for example, ‘The Language of the People: Scots Prose from the Victorian Revival’ edited by William Donaldson (Aberdeen University Press, 1989).

In the following list, names of countries are given first in English followed by the Scots form with its adjective and language names in brackets: where these are the same only one word appears.

Africa – Africae (African)
Albania - Albainy (Albainian)
America - Americae (American or Yankie)
Andorra - Andorry
Antarctica - Sooth Pole
Arctic - North Pole
Arctic Circle - Girth o the North Pole
Armenia - Armeiny
The Atlantic Ocean - The Muckle Dub
Australia - Austrailie
Austria - Austrik
Balearics - Baliaries
The Baltic Sea - Easter Seas
Basque Country - Neveron (Bescayan)
Bay of Biscay - Bey o Bescay
Belgium - Belgium
Bellarussia - Beyellaroushy (Beyellaroushian)
Bosnia - Bosny
Brittany - Bertany
Bulgaria - Bulgairy (Bulgars)
Canada - Canadae (Canadian)
Catalonia - Catalony (Catalan)
China - China (Chinee)
Corsica - Corsicae
Croatia - Croaitie (leid - Serbo-Crotes; adjective – Croaitian)
Czech Republic - Czechland (Czech)
Denmark - Denmark (Dens)
England - Ingland (Inglis or Soothron)
Estonia - Eistland (Eistlands)
Europe - Europe
Faroe Isles - Faerae Isles (Faeraes)
Finland - Finland (Finns)
France - Fraunce (Frainch)
Frisia - Freishland (Freish)
Galicia - Galeisy - (Galeisan)
Georgia - Georgy
Germany - Germany (German)
Greece - Greece (Greek)
Iceland - Iceland (Icelandic)
India - Indie (Indian)
Ireland - Irland (Earse)
Italy - Italy (Italians)
Jamaica - Jamaicae (Jamaican)
Japan - Japan (Japanee)
Lappland - Lappland (Lapps)
Latvia - Lettland (Letts)
Lithuania - Leifland (Leiflands)
Litchtenstein - Litchenstien
Luxembourg - Lusinburg
Macedonia - Macedony
Mediterranean Sea - Meditterane Sea
Netherlands - Netherlands (Dutch)
North Sea - North Sea
Northern Ireland - Norlan Irland
Norway - Norrowa (leid - Norn; adjective - Norse)
Norwegian Sea - Norse Sea
Poland - Poland (leid – Polles; adjective - Polish)
Portugal - Portingal (Portingals)
Romania - Roumainy (Roumains)
Russia - Roushy (Roushian)
Sardinia - Sardinny
Scandinavia - Scandinaivy (Scandinaivian)
Scotland - Scotland (Scots)
Serbia - Serby (leid – Serbo-Crotes; adjective – Serbian)
Sicilly - Sicilly
Slovakia - Slovaky (Slovak)
Slovenia - Sloveiny (Slovein)
South Africa - Sooth Africae
South America - Sooth Americae
Spain - Spainy (Spenish)
Sweden - Swaiden (Swaidish)
Switzerland - Swisserland (Swisser)
Turkey - Turkey (Turkish)
Hungary - Ungairy (Ungairian)
Wales - Wales (Welsh)
West Indies - Wast Indies
World - Warld

Some European Towns in Scots: The usual form in English (with country in brackets) is followed by the Scots form.

Antwerp (Belgium) - Handwarp
Bergen (Norway) - Birran
Boulogne (France) - Bullen
Bordeaux (France) - Bourdeuse
Bristol (England) - Bristow
Calais (France) - Calice
Campveer (Netherlands) - Camfeir
Canterbury (England) - Caunterberry
Cardiff (Wales) - Caurdiff
Copenhagen (Denmark) - Colpenhaven
Courtrai (Belgium) - Cortrik
Cologne (Germany) - Cullen
Falsterbo (Denmark) - Valsterboom
Frankfurt (Germany) - Frankfuird
Gdansk (Poland) - Danskin
Gothenburg (Sweden) - Gottenberry
Greenwich (England) – Grenidge
Hamburg (Germany) - Hambra
Helsignor (Denmark) - Elsenure
Kaliningrad (Russia) - Queensbrig
La Rochelle (France) - The Rotchell
Lisbon (Portugal) - Leisborn
Leuven (Belgium) - Lovan
Lübeck (Germany) - Luipkie
Liège (Belgium) - Luke
London (England) - Lunnon
Maastricht (Netherlands) - Maestricht
Norwich (England) - Norridge
Oslo (Norway) - Uplso
Osnabrück (Germany) - Ozenbrig
Paris (France) - Pairis
Poitiers (France) - Poyters
Rotterdam (Netherlands) - Roterdame
Salisbury (England) - Salesberry
Stettin (Poland) - Statin
Strasbourg (France) - Straesberry
Touraine (France) - Turing
Trondheim (Norway) - Druntin
Utrecht (Netherlands) - Utrik
Venice (Italy) - Veinice
Yarmouth (England) - Yearmuith