The Scots dialects of northern Scotland, Orkney and Shetland are among the most traditional varieties of 'English', exhibiting features not current elsewhere for centuries. Until recently, they were spoken in communities whose traditional occupations have encouraged the equation of speech with local identity. They have all also been affected by contact with Gaelic, or Norse, or both. In recent years, however, the decline of traditional industries has been matched by the discovery of oil off their coasts, encouraging in-migration of speakers of many varieties of English and other languages. How well have these varieties maintained their traditional natures at the start of the 21st century?

'Northern and Insular Scots' provides:

* An approachable description of the phonological, structural and lexical natures of these varieties * A history of the varieties in relation to the areas in which they are spoken * Examples of the language of native speakers * An annotated bibliography which points the reader towards more specialised works.

Dialects of English - The Series

Books in this new series provide concise, up-to-date documentation for varieties of English from around the world. Written by experts who have conducted first-hand research, the volumes provide a starting point for anyone wishing to know about a particular dialect. Each volume follows a common structure covering the background, phonetics and phonology, morphosyntax, lexis and history of a variety of English, and concludes with an annotated bibliography and some sample texts.

Northern and Insular Scots is available in North America from Columbia University Press.