Lallans

Lallans refers to the Scots language as spoken and written in the Lowlands of Scotland. The term "Lallans" was coined by the Scottish poet Robert Burns and is often used to describe a literary form of the language, particularly as employed by writers during the Scottish Renaissance movement in the mid-20th century.12

Scots evolved from Northern English, which became prevalent in Lowland Scotland between the 11th and 14th centuries. By the late 15th century, this language was known as "Scottis," or Scots, and was used interchangeably with "Inglis." Over the subsequent two centuries, Scots diverged from Northern English in pronunciation and vocabulary, incorporating words from French, Dutch, Latin, and Gaelic. It became the primary language for literature and record-keeping in Scotland by the 16th century. However, due to England's growing influence, Scots began to be Anglicized from the mid-16th century onwards.2