Scots
/skɒts/noun
The people or dialects of Scotland; also the Scots language.
Did you know?The name ultimately comes from Latin *Scoti*, the Roman label for Gaelic-speaking raiders and settlers from Ireland, so the word’s history is tied to migration, identity, and empire-making.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Celtic
PCelt
*skot-
“A possible early ethnonym or tribal name, ultimately uncertain in exact origin.”
Late Latin
Latin
Scoti
“The name used by Roman writers for the raiders and peoples from Ireland and later the Gaelic settlers in Britain.”
Old English
OE
Scottas
“The Scots; the people of Scotland.”
Old Norse
ON
Skotar
“The Scots.”
Middle English
ME
Scots
“The Scots; the language or people of Scotland.”
Modern English
English
Scots
“The Scots people, or the Scots language and dialects.”