Conjunctions
Conjunctions are
words that connect sentences, clauses and words.
- Many common adverbs
and prepositions are also used as conjunctions.
| afore |
before |
whan |
when,
while |
| efter |
after |
whaur |
where |
| hou |
how, why |
whit wey |
why |
| tae / til |
to |
|
|
The unstressed fom tae is often
written ti.
- Other conjuctions
are:
| aither |
either |
gin |
if
/ whether |
| (a)cause |
because |
naither |
neither |
| altho |
although |
nor |
than |
| an |
and |
or |
ere, before,
until, or** |
| as |
as / than |
sae |
so |
| baith |
both |
sin |
since |
| bi(s) |
in comparison
with,
besides, than |
syne |
then, since
(from the time that) |
| binna |
unless, except |
that |
that |
| but |
but, except,
without |
tho |
though |
| cep |
except, unless |
tae |
until |
| for |
for, notwithstanding
that |
whan |
while |
| for fear |
lest |
wioot |
except, unless |
| gif* |
if / whether |
yit |
yet |
*Note gif
is now obsolete and is usually a literary form.
**Note or meaning 'ere', 'before' and 'until' is
a different word than or meaning 'or'.
Ye are auld bes me.
You're older than me. |
He haes mair nor
A thocht.
He has more than I thought. |
Ye'll see't or lang.
You'll see it before long. |
Cause a
wisna bidden.
Because I wasn't invited. |
Bide here or A retour.
Wait here until I return. |
Wheesht or
ence A'll belt ye.
Be quiet or else I'll hit you. |
Och, gin thay war awa.
Oh, if only they were gone. |
An ance
wir wames is fou.
If for once our stomachs are
full. |
Ye are white
but whaur ye are bauld.
You're white except where you
are bald. |
Gif Jimmie
says it's weel it's weel.
If Jimmy says it is well it
is well. |
Awbody but
ma freends cam.
Everyone except my friends
came. |
Ye'll be droukit
or ye win hame.
You'll be soaked before you
get home. |
Shoud A tak
this ane or that ane?
Should I take this one or that
one? |
A didna ken
gif he wad come or no.
I didn't know whether or not
he would come. |
Whit will A
dae gin ma caur winna stairt?
What shall I do if my car won't
start? |
Ye'll no git
ben binna ye weir yer kirk-claes.
You'll not get in unless you
wear your best clothes. |
He wis auld
sin A mynd.
He's been an old man as long
as I can remember. |
Siller's rife nou by't wis
in oor day.
Money is plentiful now compared
with what is was in our day. |
Thare wis mair
as sieven hunder fowk come til the gaitherin.
More than seven hundred people
had come to the gathering. |
- Note the use of
an (and) + a verb in infinitive phrases.
Infinitive - in
the mood that expresses, the verbal idea without reference to person,
number or time.
Ettle an mend the gairden yett by the
morn.
Try to repair the garden gate
by tomorrow. |
Mynd an
bring her back afore twal.
Remember to bring her back
before twelve. |
She canna
mynd an dae whit she's telt.
She can't remember to do what
she's told. |
- An
(and) is used to introduce verbless subordinate clauses (cannot function
as sentences in their own right, but perform an adjectival, adverbial
or nominal function) that express surprise or indignation.
He haed
tae heeze aw thae pallets an him wi his sair airm.
He had to hoist all those pallets.
Him having a sore arm. |
She haed
tae daunder fower mile an her aicht month biggen.
She had to wander for four
miles. Being eight months pregnant. |
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