UlsterScots

Ulster Scots, also referred to as Ulster-Scots, is a variety of the Scots language spoken in and around Ulster, chiefly in Northern Ireland and the border counties of the Republic of Ireland, with related communities abroad. It is debated whether Ulster Scots constitutes a distinct language or a dialect of Scots; most scholars treat it as part of the Scots language continuum, closely related to varieties spoken in Scotland but with its own regional characteristics.

History and origins trace to the Scottish settlement during the Plantation of Ulster in the 16th and 17th centuries. Settlers introduced Scots linguistic forms to the region, which subsequently mixed with Irish and English varieties. Over time this produced a distinctive Ulster Scots speech repertoire, with regional varieties and lexical differences from standard Scottish or Irish English.

Status and promotion vary. Ulster Scots is recognized by some cultural and linguistic bodies as a regional language and has seen efforts to promote and document it through education, publishing, and media. There is no single universally accepted standard orthography; multiple spellings and writing systems are in use by researchers, communities, and publishers. Scholarly and community work continues on dictionaries, grammars, and texts to support learning and transmission.

Linguistically, Ulster Scots features vocabulary and pronunciation shaped by Scots heritage, with influences from Irish and English. It contains several internal dialects, commonly described as Northern Ulster Scots, Mid Ulster Scots, and South Ulster Scots, and maintains a level of mutual intelligibility with Scots varieties and with some English dialects.

Culturally, Ulster Scots contributes to literature, song, theatre, and local media, and is used in education and public life in some communities, reflecting a broader effort to preserve and promote linguistic heritage in the region.