Practical vocabulary guide

Scottish words for family and home

See how regional words can describe children, home, living somewhere, and familiar forms of address.

Reviewed entryPractical vocabulary guide usageEditorial method

Words to know

bairna child or someone’s offspring weana child, especially in Glasgow and west-central Scotland hamehome, at home, or toward home bideto live, stay, wait, or remain

Example in context

Local: The weans are hame, and their gran bides just round the corner.

Plain English: The children are home, and their grandmother lives just around the corner.

Use context, not stereotypes

Vocabulary varies by region, age, community, and speaker. These pages explain likely meanings without claiming that every person in Scotland uses every term.

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