"Should non-Scottish folk say "wee"?" Topic

…when talking about something small or little?

Not on ya Nellie.

How eles would they cheer on the Bullie Wee?!?

Sure

It's not copyrighted

It's used in Northern Ireland too.

Wee, in the Portsmouth sense- where wee means yes.

I use it all the time. 3rd generation Irish-American.

And what other size dram of whiskey do you drink?

Should the GEICO pig top saying wee?
link

Aye, but only in your own local accent.

Don't want to think you're Scottish.

English people from Northumberland say it too.

I don't use wee but I am very fond of pilllock.

Do you mean "should" as in "ought to" or "should" as in "it's acceptable for them to"? Very different connotations.

"Oughta".

What's that? Something about a Scotsman and a wee wee-lee, hee-hee.
Ahem, scuse me but it had to be said, us sassenachs cannot be taken out in public you know :)

@Zargon

You may not know it but the vast majority of Scottish people are also 'sassenachs'.

It comes from a gaelic word meaning 'saxons' or in other words someone who is not from the Highlands.

I am Croatian born, living in Canada. I say 'wee' all the time. Blame Billy Connolly!

Why not?

Nay, a'wa wi' such blather !

Sure – especially when oderin' a pint of the wee heavy at the pub….

I don't see the problem….

What else do you say riding sleighs?

…or swings.

In common usage here in southern New Zealand though the majority of Pakeha (European-New Zealanders) in these parts are of Scots and Irish descent.

Feel free to use it, just don't dare use this;

Awa, an bile yer heid!

It is not uncommon around here, in fact it is a wee bit chilly right now.

How else can we read "Tae a Moose?"

Thanks Jim – that needed to be said – my Grandmother detected them all along the east coast.. and many places north of the line…
(Mind you she also had a theory that the Campbells were Saxons by some strange logic of association!)

Aye!

@Chokidar

Maybe your Grandmother had senses not available to 'normal' folk.

Am up north tomorrow, I'll see if I can detect a difference between Highlanders and Others.

That's interesting Jim didn't know that.
learning something everyday, wonder what the thje true Brits are called then? We're talking the Welsh and Picts who make claim to being the first inhabitants.
Cheers or should I say Slàinte.

Definitely Scottish ONLY!!!

YouTube link

@Zargon

I bet most Scots don't know it either.

Can't speak about the Welsh but the Picts got their name from the Romans who briefly came this far north. It means the 'painted people', probably due to their tattoos. I think it is not known what the Picts called themselves as I don't think they had a written language.

Subsequently the Picts absorbed the Scotti (who came over from Ireland) or maybe the Scotti absorbed the Picts and became known as Scots and probably spoke an earlier form of Gaelic.

The Welsh also spoke a form of Gaelic as did the Irish who remained in Ireland and also the Cornishmen and the Bretons.

Then there came the Angles, Saxons and Jutes from Denmark/Germany and some Vikings from you know where.

Don't ask me who amongst this lot are the true Brits.

Are you off to Targe then Jim?

Lucky man. Fond memories (although proof positive that the age of clan warfare is not yet completely passed!)

Joking apart my other Grandmother was thought to have the sight.

The Picts spoke Brythonic Celtic as did the Britons of Lothian and the whole of the central belt. The Irish spoke Irish another Celtic language. Early on they could understand each other by the 8th Century Pictish had diverged.

For anybody interested in this sort of thing you could do no better than get a copy of Charles-Edwards Wales and the Britons. Its not a wee book though, you could stun a pony with it.

The Cambell's of course have a claim that they are descended from Arthur. No idea if its true but they are the only kindred to make that claim despite Arthur's fame in the Celtic world.

Oui, they should

Cumbrians say wee as well. This isn't really very surprising as we've been either part of Scotland, fighting Scotland or been colonised by Scotsmen for a thousand years, or invading Gretna market every weekend.

"Am up north tomorrow, I'll see if I can detect a difference between Highlanders and Others."

Am just back from up North.

The only Sassenach I could positively detect was a Geordie called Robin but then I knew that before I saw him.

Of all the others present there was no detectable difference between potential Highlanders (ex-Picts, Celts etc) and Sassenachs (Saxons, Anglo or otherwise, Jutes or Vikings) except one guy who I know is Welsh.

Only those who also heartily enjoy a wee bit of haggis now and then

Oh a dinnae ken! But my wife is gaelic. I call my boys 'wee man' and 'big yin'