Scottish English: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

Scottish English (also known as Scottish Standard English) is the form of the English language used in Scotland.

The standard spelling and grammar are generally the same as in British English, however, there are some unique characteristics, many of which originate from the country's two other languages, Gaelic and Scots.

One of the more notable differences between Scottish and British English concerns the use of the past participle in place of the verbal infinitive in phrases such as the children need fed (cf. the children need feeding in British English). Scottish English also makes common use of the word outwith, meaning outside of, and the uniquely Scottish and often over-used term wee, which Scots use to say small. The word correct is used instead of right, which is used to mean morally right or just, as opposed to factually accurate.

The adjective depute (pronounced 'depp-yoot') is used instead of deputy. When the London-based satirical magazine Private Eye ridiculed the use of this term in a newspaper advertisement in 2003, it was inundated with complaints from Scottish readers, who pointed out that this was correct usage. The term proven (pronounced as 'pro-ven', not 'proo-ven'), as opposed to proved, is correctly used in a legal context (Scottish courts may hand down a verdict of "Not Proven" instead of "Not Guilty").