A Corpus of 21st Century Scots Texts

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Concordance

Enter a word to find all occurrences of, for example sonsie

The word 'old'

- basic concord - pre-sorted concord - post-sorted concord - map and chronology - chronogrid - similar spellings -

Use in varieties of Scots

Dialect map - Usage over time
oldOccurrences normalised per million wordsOccurrencesAuthors
Total Corpus58.719184
ORK - Orkney 69.6 7 6
SHD - Shetland 98.8 17 8
TON - Tonge
NNB - North Northern B (Caithness)
NNA - North Northern A (Black Isle)
MNA - Mid Northern A 36 11 9
MNB - Mid Northern B 262.1 2 2
SNO - South Northern 488.3 3 1
ABN - Aberdeen 10.9 1 1
DOR - General Northern 48.8 11 8
NEC - North East Central
SEC - (South) East Central 60.9 24 6
WCE - West Central
DUN - Dundee 21.2 2 1
EDN - Edinburgh 100.2 16 5
GLA - Glasgow 54.6 12 4
AYR - Ayrshire 13.1 1 1
LAL - General Central 70.3 53 16
SEA - South East (Borders) 49.9 4 3
SWE - South West (Galloway) 125.2 9 4
DUL - Donegal (East Donegal)
WUL - West Ulster (Letterkenny / L'Derry) 817.5 5 1
CUL - Coleraine Ulster (North Antrim)
BUL - Ballymena Ulster (Mid Antrim)
SUL - South Antrim (Between Sixmilewater and Belfast) 2369.7 1 1
BEL - Eastern Ulster (Belfast)
PUL - Peninsular Ulster (Ards)
EUL - East Antrim (Larne) 131.3 4 2
GUL - General Ulster 112.4 8 6
SYN - Synthetic (no region)

Occurrences of old in Corpus

In order to avoid violating copyright law and abide by 'fair use', only up to the first five occurrences of the search term are displayed for each article.

Orkney

Baikie, R. M. Mair Fairming Tales, (Baikie 2000 ISBN: 978-0953156412) Orkney - Hackland, prose
This age old ferming based routine - this on page 86
He learned things in the age old wey, be watchan whut wis deen on page 95

2 matches

Parkins, Hazel Seven Year O Yule Days, (H and M Parkins 2002 ISBN: 978-0954363505) Orkney, poetry
Thowt Orkney wis 'a dead old dump' - ower weel fur the li on page 59

1 matches

Bruce, Lorraine Gousters, Glims and Veerie-orums, (Orkney Voices 2021 ISBN: 9780956661661) Orkney, poetry
Growing Old Gracefully on page 98

1 matches

Hall, Simon W. Lands o Twatt, (Brisk Northerly 2018) Orkney, blog
misappropriation. The name is Old Norse, and it means ‘The Cl
1 matches

Giles, Harry Josephine Slipan, Sweechan, (harryjosephine.com 2017) Orkney, prose
san, unaebl tae utir ithir “old” or “ald” or “ould”
1 matches

@peediepuss tweeted
ast week; a wether, 3-4 years old, from the Holm of Papay. A go (2020) twitter link

Shetland

Fraser, Barbara Aye Someane Deid, Aye Someane Boarn, (Shetland Times 2021 ISBN: 978-1910997437) Shetland, prose
just like another eight year old," laughed Chloe, "When they c on page 9

1 matches

Tait, John M Lallans 58 - Sheltie Prattle an da Blue Lowe (a Pantomime) , (Lallans Magazine 2001) Shetland, prose
it's charming to bring these old customs out of the mothballs on page 35

1 matches

Facebook link (Wir Midder Tongue 2016) Shetland
's croft/fields/enclosure and old photos show dis(before aa da
Sadly, twartree years ago da old sign was replaced wi a new si

Facebook link (Wir Midder Tongue 2016) Shetland
two yarning wi a lovely 90+yr old woman fae Yell.
t was like a treasure chest o old words and history.

Watt, Valerie Da secret wirld o Santie’s elves, (Shetland Times 2008) Shetland - Lerwick, newspaper
“As old as the snowy mountains around
1 matches

@Julie_Dennison tweeted
over 18 and I’m just getting old (2018) twitter link
You keen yir gittin old when da only eens you see on (2020) twitter link
Got my old Minecraft worlds up an runnin (2021) twitter link

@tattooedselkie tweeted
13 year old me wid winder why I dinna hae(2021)

@helenmoncrieff tweeted
nd my first. I was aboot 10yr old and da family cat had catched(2020)
@peediepuss I visited my old friends near Ronas Hill. Bein(2020)
platter ?? Found in a 6000 yr old midden today. Gets da imagina(2016)
I'm blyde to see old friends flyin oer my garden a(2020)

@shaetlan_rose tweeted
ni' is een o dem, derived fae old norse 'liverni' mea(2020)
watching films, sessions with old pals, picking crowberries and(2019)

Mid Northern A

Leslie, Deborah Doric - Alive an Kickin, (Argo Publishing 2004 ISBN: 978-0954615314) Doric - Inverurie, prose
'Easy-going thirty-five-year-old, wellbuilt, with a GSOH.'" on page 50

1 matches

Thom, Bill The Quait Chiel, (Tapsalteerie 2013 ISBN: 9780992663100) Doric - Banff, poetry
For lang they kent o stories old, on page 6

1 matches

Shepherd, Robbie Harknin tae the braw souns, (John Benjamin 2000) Doric, newspaper
To that old Scottish Waltz
1 matches

Harper, Norman Stronach: A Weekly Look at Life in the Fictional North-East Village, (The Press and Journal 2000) Doric, newspaper
ll right, I'm all right," the old soldier said. "I get dizzy so
1 matches

Blackhall, Sheena The Quarry, (Lochlands 2007) Doric, prose
"In our old country, in our faith, white
1 matches

Hutchison, Pat Catty, (McStorytellers.com 2017) Doric - Banffshire, prose
Wi a cheery "Toodlepip old chap!" he left the office, le
1 matches

Hutchison, Pat Angels Ten, (McStorytellers.com 2016) Doric - Banffshire, prose
nce been the hospital for the old wartime aerodrome nearby. A l
1 matches

Hutchison, Pat The Seven Coins o Kineddart, (McStorytellers.com 2016) Doric - Banffshire, prose
tunnel that leads out to the old bridge and must’ve been use
1 matches

@DoricPhrases tweeted
and custard for lunch fae The Old Mart Cafe in Maud, fa's been?(2017)

@FaeFoggie tweeted
n the Spectrum 48k. A 37 year old game and I'm determined ti fi(2021)

@JamieFairbairn1 tweeted
overturn, upset or ruin; From Old French, couper, to strike. Mo (2020) twitter link

Mid Northern B

Johnston, Shaun The Forkie Gollach, (Scots Hoose 2020) Doric - Forres, prose
iday night and the usual same old routine. Awa tae meet ma mate
1 matches

@McGoo1888 tweeted
Paracetamol ?? wi an 87 year old lass frae Falkirk...hawdin oa (2021) twitter link

South Northern

Vettese, Raymond Lallans 73 - reviews, (Lallans Magazine 2008) Doric - Montrose, prose
ce Dr. Hamish Robertson, aka 'Old Squarebottle' (the pairtner i on page 124

1 matches

Vettese, Raymond Lallans 73 - Reviews, (Lallans Magazine 2008) Doric, prose
Dr. Hamish Robertson, aka ‘Old Squarebottle’ (the pairtner
1 matches

Vettese, Raymond Lallans 59 - Raymond Vettese : nineteen poems, (Lallans Magazine 2004) Doric - Montrose, poetry
“the natural silence of old age”;
1 matches

Aberdeen

Strachan, Shane Standing Stone, (northwordsnow.co.uk 2016) Doric, prose
you get by. You’re getting old. You won’t survive much lon
1 matches

General Northern

Lawrie, Alistair Caal Cries, (Drunk Muse Press 2023 ISBN: 978-1399964678) Doric - Stonehaven, poetry
that from among the people." 'Old Mortakty" on page 34

1 matches

Smith, Alex A Sair Fecht, (self-published 2003) Doric, prose
Jonsar, I have an old man going to dig it for me. W
1 matches

@72redz1903 tweeted
a This has just blown my 8 yr old’s mind, but makes perfect se (2022) twitter link
attendances in the ‘70s bar old firm games? Even under Fergie (2022) twitter link
n a sea of typically paranoid old firm ramblings - try listeni (2020) twitter link
it’s the only milk my 6 year old has had tae drink ?? (2020) twitter link

@cligeey tweeted
ists How aboot Pub crawl Good old Brenda Shine some tune that(2020)

@daleser23 tweeted
@RossAndrew7 giggsys old boy n butch n his loon like. (2013)

@Franwella tweeted
nother birthday, 17 sounds so old” oh I micht jist hae tae sla(2013)

@fittiecrooners tweeted
There's many a schilling in old junk #oldsayings #aberdeen(2017)

@glenlivetloon tweeted
88 oh fit an eese! Will phone old pop now...(2014)

(South) East Central

Hubbard, Tom The Flechitorium, (Grace Note 2017 ISBN: 9781907676932) Central - East Central, poetry
Old Tam the Rhymer stumbles out A on page 3
Of Fife's regretted tyrant, Old King Coal. on page 58
But the old man, he says nothing at all, on page 60

3 matches

Fleemin, Sandy Deid Come Nevermas, (sandyfleming.org 2003) Central - East Lothian, prose
with a laddie about five year old. The bairn was awfu’ taken
1 matches

Clark, Sara Scot Free -The Psychic Cost O Uisin Scots, (Bella Caledonia 2018) Central, blog
er hert. Some wirds feel like old feres. Scots yins mair than m
1 matches

Fairnie, Robert Scots Tung WITTINS Nummer 175, (self-published 2008) Central - Musselburgh, newspaper
' an is cried awthin frae "an old folks sun lounge area", "a le
English crack wi words like 'old bean', 'up hill down dale', '
2 matches

Muir, Glenn Pet-gilante, (McStorytellers.com 2015) Central - Linlithgow, prose
cond victim, an eighteen year old called Harry Reid, was fund i
1 matches

Fairnie, Robert Scots Tung WITTINS Nummer 105, (self-published 2002) Central, newspaper
He uises "old Scots" in the sub-heidin an a
got a body, that daesna ken "old Scots" wis spoken frae aroond
b Fairnie, the genial 55 year old chairman of Scots Tung", in t
Broon maks muckle anent "old Scots" no bein a language at
ang en o the stick anent the "old Scots" he wis haverin on aboo
7 matches

Fairnie, Robert Scots Tung WITTINS Nummer 76, (self-published 2000) Central, newspaper
includit. Friday 2.00pm haes "Old Scots/New Scots", minority le
1 matches

@kennethbryce184 tweeted
at east fortune mercat n the old spice too lol (2020) twitter link
tsneddon5 gyms r shut and its old news - time to move on lol (2020) twitter link
@edinburghpaper this is old news and yet you keep bringin (2021) twitter link
@robertmdaws @ManUtd the good old days of a once great footbal (2020) twitter link
nations at this rate - same old excuses gregor just dont cut (2020) twitter link
and 3 other occurrences.

Dundee

McHardy, Stuart Speakin o Dundee: Tales Tellt Aroun the Toun, (Luath 2010 ISBN: 978-1-906817-25-1) Central - Dundee, prose
id that when it comes to good old ding-dong there's no one bett on page 76
an took themsels aff tae the Old Glamis Road tae lie in wait f on page 105

2 matches

Edinburgh

Monahan Brown, Ricky Eemis Stane 1 - The Mindin, (Eemis Stane 2022) Central, prose
er through a labyrinth of the old alleyways, discover the stori on page 9

1 matches

Higgs, Jo The tale of how Evan Evans scrapped wi Evan Nichols, (berfrois 2022) Central - Edinburgh, prose
ing some massive fucker of an old-timey meat cleaver.
1 matches

Smith, Jamie Effeirin tae the formal: Laitinate lendwirds in Scots, (Mak Forrit 2019) Central - Edinburgh, blog
the important point that the Old Norse loans found in Scots ([
1 matches

McKillop, Roger The Builders, (McStorytellers.com 2015) Central - Edinburgh, prose
, “Pour it thru a pair o’ old woman's tights.” This cause
1 matches

Kurtoglu, Wulf Braken Fences, (Caroline Macafee 2011 ISBN: B006JE3UQW) Central, prose
she cuts herself off from her old life, you move - perhaps to
“An old vehicle and a trick of the du
oped you’d be near me in my old age. But that doesn’t mean
e out. He can do that for his old grandfather now that I don’
“But I think I’m old enough to know my own mind.
12 matches

Glasgow

McQueer, Chris HWFG, (404 Ink 2012 ISBN: 978-1912489107) Central, prose
, eh? A gentleman. A harmless old guy. A wee holiday park enter on page 21

1 matches

Cunningham, Lucy nothing but a set of eyes for stars - Swedish Fish, (Association for Scottish Literature 2023 ISBN: 978-1906841546) Central, prose
fussing over it. But Da said old Wendy fae doon the road had s on page 38
ery pencil cases, hair clips, old fogeys dishing oot breath min on page 39
at Wendy might have a family. Old ladies always seem tae exist on page 40
. It wis the folk fae ootside old Wendy's the day afore and the on page 42

8 matches

Bennett, Peter Liberties (Part One), (ABCTales.com 2021) Central - Glasgow, prose
cunts, ‘FOR IT’S A GRAND OLD TEAM TO PLAY FOR. . .’ the
1 matches

Bennett, Peter The Bothy (Part One), (ABCTales.com 2021) Central - Glasgow, prose
. ‘This way chaps, Tallyhoo old boy!’ he sais in a mock upp
1 matches

Grae, Emma Dancin wi the Rhona, (unbound.com 2020) Central - Glasgow, prose
y heart warms when I think of old Scotland.”
1 matches

Ayrshire

Wilson, Rab Lallans 85 - Roads, (Lallans Magazine 2014) Central, poetry
indin throu Clarebrand an The Old Bridge of Urr, on page 10

1 matches

General Central

Beekman, Tony Lallans 85 - The Belt, (Lallans Magazine 2014) Central, prose
dozen fresh-faced twelve-year-old boys. The rest o the cless lo on page 42

1 matches

Grae, Emma The Tongue She Speaks, (Scots Language Centre 2021) Central, poetry
a lot o rubbish. Yer 12-year-old,' ah mind hur sayin, 'lassies on page 24
'And how old are you exactly?' on page 47
a philosophical thirteen-year-old wi a ratty moustache, kin see on page 54

3 matches

Horsbroch, Dauvit Scots Warks - Uphaud an guidance for screivars, (Scots Language Centre 2015) Central, government
* The Auld Toon (The Old Town, Embra); on page 30

1 matches

Grae, Emma Be guid tae yer Mammy, (Unbound Digital 2021 ISBN: 978-1789651171) Central, prose
o around like a tinker in hur old age. At least ah can fling an on page 2
n the same year. That wis one old wives' tale that turned oot t on page 11
that Kate's twenty-two years old, and Isla's near enough twent on page 12
It's easy tae forget how old Granny is. She says it's time on page 26
no cae hur, especially in hur old age. But if Dad's job situati on page 30
Also on pages 32, 39, 41, 43, 44, 47, 48, 50, 86, 88, 92, 117
21 matches

Douglas, Sheila Lallans 67 - William Motherwell (1797 - 1836), (Lallans Magazine 2005) Central, prose
e the best possible set of an old ballad out of several copies on page 69

3 matches

Horsbroch, Dauvit Lallans 56 - Cauld Kail Fae Embro, (Lallans Magazine 2000) Central, prose
onit "...well, that's sort of old English with slang in it." Ef on page 121

1 matches

Robinson, Christine Lallans 81 - Chynge for chynge’s sake?, (Lallans Magazine 2012) Central, prose
in fecht. The Middle Dutch an Old Norse equivalents are werk an
1 matches

Douglas, Ashley Whae Were the Pechts, (Dig It Scotland 2023) Central, prose
f a carved stone featuring an old man with pointed beard riding
with pointed beard riding an old ass and drinking from a horn
2 matches

@Seperatist_No1 tweeted
o down. If ye dinnae like the old fashioned way, go to the chem(2020)

@alistairdunn tweeted
no mention anythin about how old ye are...HAPPY BIRTHDAY AUL Y(2017)

@jax6754 tweeted
hough otherwise its just same old same old! xxx(2014)

@IshbelMcF tweeted
bairn was a couple of months old. My fave is What Makes a Baby(2020)

@rosa_alba_macd tweeted
@olivermundell @theSNP Months old and the fact that every Tory (2020)
energy sorting oot the 8 year old boys in WM...(2020)

@SusiBriggs1 tweeted
eading that yin tae my 7 year old too. ?(2019)

@billykayscot tweeted
iott & Armstrong lived by the old saying "there'll be muinlicht(2020)
ophistication of his own. The old Angus lady put him in his pla(2020)
ng syne, or in a language the old lady knows: “ce n’est qu’u(2020)

@bigandymccoll tweeted
ma newest faimly member, 1yr old, and ma neice re-working her (2022) twitter link
'crime' of sedition (which my old man was threatened with by a (2022) twitter link
make a grown Glaswegian 59yr old man greet. I'm no gonnae let (2022) twitter link
, over lunch. Crikey - 50yrs old this programme ??. Ach, we ki (2022) twitter link

@changed_days tweeted
e tae register it along wi ma old account which a did an noo a (2021) twitter link
1 Listen, a winched a 50 year old wuman ootside a pub when a wi (2021) twitter link

@LowEndJardo tweeted
90’s pop playlist to see how old a felt compared to her. (2021) twitter link
ftover mozza tae scran and an old firm to watch, happy sunday t (2021) twitter link

South East (Borders)

Thompson, James My Borderlands, (Richardson and Son Printers 2023) Southern - Hawick, poetry
Old wedding photo's from long ago on page 24
The simple joys o' growin old on page 40

2 matches

@jamie_ginger tweeted
tumble dryer and your 1 year old chains the back o the door an(2019)

@MartyMacMurtrie tweeted
meant “pirate raid” in the Old Norse language that was spoke(2020)

South West (Galloway)

Douglas, David Chuckies fir the Cairn, (Luath 2009 ISBN: 978-1906817053) Central - Galloway, poetry
- rearmament funded of old-pence pocket money, on page 50

2 matches

Haddow, Kris Haud the Bus - No In-gleesh, (The Wee Paper 2022) Central, prose
richt in the middle o’ the old Roman Forum, and the ruins ar
streets and lanes through the old town. It’s getting mare lik
2 matches

McDonald, Hamish The Girnin Gates - Chapter 12, (Itchy Coo 2003) Central, prose
aboot singin 'Firrits A Grand Old Team To Play For'."
1 matches

@StuartPoet tweeted
@HurchinHome 'Peasant Poets Old And New'. So many from all ov(2020)
ncle Bert taking me up to the old pit site as a boy and telling(2020)
e time he showed me round the old pithead.(2020)
he road at Sandyhills, really old farm on the site of which was(2020)

West Ulster (Letterkenny / L'Derry)

@fairfaaye tweeted
th grace. It derives from the Old English ‘tholian’ similar t(2020)
n”. Gloamin derives from the Old English word gl?m which actua(2020)
e got a wile founther’. From Old Scots fundy, to suffer a chil(2020)
disgusted, sickened. From the Old Scots 'skunnyr' meaning to 's(2020)

South Antrim (Between Sixmilewater and Belfast)

BardOfMilebush Untitled poem, (Reddit 2017) Ulster, poetry
an Planters You see it's from old Scotia's shores that me and m
1 matches

East Antrim (Larne)

King, Angeline Dusty Bluebells Scots Edition, (Leschenault Press 2022 ISBN: 978-1922670540) Ulster - Larne, prose
Parochial School gates on the Old Glenarm Road, bathin in sunsh on page 19
hoose was on the corner o the Old Glenarm Road. She was on a st on page 22

2 matches

@Angelinekking tweeted
oting a horse's gallop): from Old Northern French walop (noun),(2020)
@scotslanguage My old boss used to say ‘manys a mi(2020)

General Ulster

Hanna, Wendy Gaitherin’ Purdas!, (Facebook - Schomberg Society 2020) Ulster, poetry
not half as tough as days of old.
1 matches

@OrangRuth tweeted
They'll Reyk the Old Vic after thon #ENGISL #EURO2(2016)

@the_gellick tweeted
d an skelp onybody wha sings "Old" and no "Auld" Lang Syne at M (2014) twitter link

@HurchinHome tweeted
tPoet Maybe confused with the Old English root word? I've thole(2020)

@MarkThompStuff tweeted
Killinchy, which leads to an old graveyard. Official name is s(2020)
@4monkeysmedia And the old expressions “tea meetin” an(2020)

@TheFarrierPhil tweeted
onnelly1 Well a couple of the old timers would call me the 'chi (2021) twitter link
onnelly1 Well a couple of the old timers would call me the 'chi(2021)

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