Scotland
/ˈskɒt.lənd/noun
A country in the northern part of the island of Great Britain.
Did you know?The name ultimately comes from Latin *Scoti*, the Romans’ word for the Gaelic raiders and settlers they encountered, so the country’s name began as an outsider label before becoming a national identity.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Celtic
PCelt
*skotī
“likely a tribal name for a Gaelic-speaking people”
Late Latin
Latin
Scoti
“the Gaels or Irish raiders known to the Romans”
Old English
English
Scotland
“land inhabited by the Scots”
12th Century
Latin
Scotia
“Scotland”
Modern English
English
Scotland
“the country in northern Great Britain”