Wir Ain Leid

Verbs

Verbs indicate an action, occurance or state. Events can be placed:

in present time i.e. the present tense e.g. is (is).
in past time i.e. the past tense e.g. wis or hae / hiv (was or have).
as having taken place in the past but are relevant to the present time, the perfect. e.g. haes (has).

Scots often uses the continuous tense where English would have a simple tense.

A'm thinkin means much the same as 'I imagine' in English.
A'm doutin means much the same as 'I'm afraid' in English.

A'm thinkin we wad been telt tae gang
I imagine we would have been told to leave.

A'm doutin that thare will be wittins anent the mishanter.
I'm afraid there will be news about the accident.

This also occurs with other tenses and verbs.

A'll pit ma buits on the morn, an be rinnin ower the muir.
I'll put my boots on tomorrow and run over the moor.

Ye wad git a sair fricht, gin he wis comin alive again.
You would get a terrible fright if he came back to life.

The past tense and the past perfect of strong verbs.

Strong verbs form the past and past perfect by changing their vowels.
In some verbs the past perfect is formed by adding n after aw and r.

Infinitive Past Past perfect

(Present tense) (Past tense) (past participle)

be be wis, war been

beat beat bate bate

bear bear, carry bure born

begin begin begoud began

bend bend bent bent

bid bid baud, bade bidden

bind bind band bund

blaw blow blew blawn

bluid bleed bled bled

bide endure bade bidden

can can coud

cast cast cuist cuisten

ding strike dang dung

draw draw drew drawn

drink drink drank drucken, drunken

drive drive druive druive, driv

faw fall fell fawn

fesh fetch fuish fuishen

find find fand fund

flee fly flew flewen

fling fling flang flung

forgit forget forgat forgotten

freeze freeze fruize frozen

git got gat gotten

greet cry grat grutten

hide hide hade, hod hidden, hodden

hit hit hat hutten

lat let luit lutten

leap leap lap(e) luppen

mistak mistake misteuk mistaen

quit rid, quit quat quat, quitten

read read rade read(en)

rin run ran run

ride ride rade ridden

shae shoe shod shoddit

shall* shall shoud

shear shear, clip shuir shorn

sit sit sat sutten

speak speak spak spoken

spit spit spat sputten

staund stand stuid stuiden

stick stick / stab stack, stickit stucken

straw strew strew strawn

strick strike strack strucken

strive strive strave striven

sweir swear swuire sworn

tak tak teuk taen

teir tear tuir torn

thresh thrash thruish thruishen

thrive thrive thrave thri'en, thriven

weed weed wed wed

weir wear wuir worn

win reach / won wan wun

write write wrat(e) written

* Also older forms sall and s(o)ud /suld.

The past tense and the past perfect of weak verbs. Drookit Dug

Verbs that end with b, d, g, k, p and t by adding it.
Verbs that end with il, en, ch, sh, ss and f by adding t.
Verbs that end with a consonant followed by le change their ending to elt.
Verbs that end with r have either t or (e)d, especially in the south.
Otherwise by the addition of ed or d where the infinitive ends with a vowel sound or silent e.
Verbs that end with ee by adding 'd.
Verbs of French or Latin origin do not add t, it, d or ed in the past perfect.
The past perfect of some verbs is formed by adding ed, en or n after aw.
In some dialects the ending (e)d may be pronounced /t/.

Infinitive Past Past perfect

acquent acquaint acquentit acquent

awe owe aucht aucht

bend bend bent bent

birrie bury birriet birriet

bou bow, bend boud boud

burn burn brunt brunt

buy buy bocht bocht

byle boil bylt bylt

caw call cawed cawed

cairy carry cairit cairit

caw drive cawed cawed

dee die dee'd dee'd

dow to be able to docht docht

drap drop drappit drappit

droun drown drount drount, droundit

fear fear / scared feart feart

fill fill filt fult

gae* go gaed gane, went

gar compel gart gart

gaither gather gaithert gaithert

hae have haed haen

hing hang hingit hingit

hurt hurt hurtit hurtit

keep keep keepit keepit

keek peep keekit keekit

ken know kent kent

kill kill kilt kilt

laid load laiden laiden

lear learn leart leart

leave, lea' leave left left

lee lie (fib) lee'd lee'd

licht light lichtit lichtit

lift lift liftit liftit

lig lay liggit liggit

loss lose lost lost

loue love loued loued

lowse loosen lowsed lowsed

leuk look leukit leukit

like like likit likit

mairy marry mairit mairit

mean mean meant meant

mend mend, repair ment ment

mey may micht

miss miss misst misst

mynd mind, remember mynt mynt

need need nott nott

pent paint pentit pentit

pey pay peyed peyed

pou pull poud poud

rap rap rappit rappit

redd arrange redd redd

rot rot rottit rotten

rowe roll rowed rowen

saw saw (wood) sawed sawn

say say said sain

see** see see'd, saw seen

seek seek socht socht(en)

sell sell selt selt

send send sent sent

ser serve ser serred

shae shoe shod shoden

shairp sharp shairpit shairpit

shuit shoot shuiitt shotten

singe singe singed singed

skail spill skailt skailt

sleep sleep sleepit sleepit

slup slip sluppit slippit

snaw snow snawed snawn

souk suck soukit soukit

soum swim soumed soumed

soop sweep soopit soopit

speir inquire, ask speirt speirt

spyle spoil spylt spylt

stang sting stangt stangt

stap step stappit stappit

stop stop stoppit stoppit

streek stretch straucht straucht

taigle hinder taigelt taigelt

think think thocht thocht

traivle travel, walk traivelt traivelt

tred tred tredit tredden

tuim empty tuimt tuimt

uise*** use uised uised

wad wed wad wad

wale choose waled waled

wirk**** work wrocht wrocht

worth to befall worthed worthed

wiss wish wust wust

yird bury yirdit yirdit

The Tappit Hen, Edinburgh * Gang (Often written gan) are alternatives for gae.

** The verb see is used colloquially to indicate a desire to be handed something.

See's ower thon jurnal.
Pass me that magazine over. Coud ye see's the teapat.
Could you pass me the teapot.

*** Note the difference between the verb uise (use) and the noun uiss (use).
Uisst tae means 'used to'.
**** Note the difference between the verb wirk (work) and the noun wark (work).

Some verbs have both strong and weak forms, especially in the past perfect.

Infinitive Past Past perfect

eat eat eatit, ett eaten, ett

bake bake bakit, beuk bakit, baken

bid bid baud, bade bidden

big build biggit, bug biggit, biggen

brak break brak, breuk brak, brucken

bring bring brocht, brang brochten, brung

bide stay bid, bade bidden

burst burst burstit, brast bursten

catch catch catcht, cuitch catcht, catchen

chuise choose chuist, chase chuist, chosen

cleid clothe cleidit, cled cleidit, cled

cleek hook, link cleekit, claucht cleekit, claucht

craw crow crawt, crew crawn

creep creep creepit, crap creepit, cruppen

come come cam, comed come(n), comed

dae do did, duin duin

daur* dare durst durst, daurd*

dreid dread dreidit, drade dreidit, drade

drink drink drank drucken, drunken

fash trouble, bother fasht, fuish fasht, fuishen

fecht fight focht, feuch fochten, feuchen

flit move home flittit flittit, flitten

flyte scold flytit, flait fleitit, flyten

gie give gied, gae gien

growe grow growed, grew growed, grawn

grip sieze gruppit, grap gruppit, gruppen

hae have haed haen, haed

haud hold haudit, helt haudden

hear hear haurd, heard
[hi:rd or he:rd] haurd

lauch laugh laucht, leuch laucht,leuchen

lowp jump lowpit lowpit, lowpen

mak make makkit, made makkit, made

maw mow mawed, mew mawn, mawed

pit put pat pitten

pruive prove pruived pruiven

quit rid, quit quat quut, quutten

rive tear rived, rave rived, riven

sawe sow sawed, sew sawn

sclim climb sclimmt, sclam sclimmt, sclum

set set set, suit setten

shak shake shakkit, sheuk shakken, sheuken

shape shape shup shuppit, shapen

shue sew shued shued, shuen

sing sing singit, sang singit, sung

slide slide slidit, slade slidden

spleet split spleetit, splat spleetit, splet

spreid spread spreidit, sprad spreidit, sprad

stick stick stickit, stack stickit, stucken

steal steal stealt, staw stealt, stowen

sweit sweat sweitit, swat sweitit, swutten

teach teach teacht, taucht teacht, taucht

tell tell telt, tauld telt, tauld

thraw throw, twist thrawed, threw thrawn

threid thread threidit, thrad threidit, thred

treat treat treat treat

tyne lose tint, tyned tint, tyned

wash wash washt, wuish washt, wuishen

weet wet weetit, wat weetit, wat(ten)

wind wind wundit, wand wundit, wund

*The past perefect of daur when followed by a noun or complex verb phrase is daurd.

In simple sentences Scots prefers the word order Subject - verb - adverb - (adjective) object.

He sneckit aff the licht.
He switched the light off.

She hingit oot the washin.
She hung the washing out.

The warkers heezed up the wechty stanes.
The workers hoisted the heavy stones up.

English prefers Subject - verb - (adjective) object - adverb.

The infinitive marker, for tae (used with verbs) means 'in order to'.

He cam for tae eat his denner.
He came to eat his dinner. A gaed for tae git it.
I went to get it.

The war room for tae git yer haund in.
There was space to get your hand in.

Ye'll come for tae mak up a gemme.
You'll come to make up a game.

He ettelt for tae gang.
He meant to go. Thay aw gaed for tae see't.
They all went to see it.

Note that want and need are regularly followed by a past participle (refering to an action that is past).

The bairn wants taen hame at fower oors.
The child would like to be be taken home at four o' clock.

Ma caur needs washt.
My car needs to be washed.

In Scots want also has the meaning 'to be lacking'.

A didna want the will but A wantit the means.
I didn't lack the will but I lacked the means.

Sae lang's fowk's born barefit the souter winna want a job.
As long as people are born barefoot the cobbler won't lack a job.

The young bride disna want tae dae wantin the new shuin an muntin.
The young bride doesn't want to do without the new shoes and trousseau.

Note the uses of leuk and seem.

It leuks like thay winna come.
It looks as if they won't come.
It seems like naebody's hame.
It seems as if no one is at home.

The prefix be can be used before verbs to strengthen them and to make nouns into verbs.

A begrudge no gaun tae see ma grannie.
I regret not going to visit my grandmother.

The Pape's gaun tae besaunt thon mairtyr.
The Pope is going to canonise that martyr.

She beteatcht aw her siller til the man frae the insurance.
She entrusted all her money to the insurance agent.

Ye'll hae tae besmairten yersel afore ye gae oot.
You'll have to tidy yourself up before you go out.

The rievers bewaves thair veectims.
The robbers lay in wait for their victims.

Dinna ettle tae begowk me.
Don't attempt to fool me.

The verb inflexion s. (Northern Subject Rule)

When a verb immediatly follows a personal pronoun in the present tense, the verb remains the same.

A come first.
I come first. We gang thare.
We go there.

A ken that fine.
I know that well. We ken that fine.
We know that well.

Thay come for tae dae't.
They come to do it. Thay say he's ower auld.
They say he is too old.

Thay are comin an aw.
They are coming too. The laddies? Thay'v went.
The boys? They have gone.

The verb ending s, occurs:

In all persons of the plural except immediately following a personal pronoun (see above).

Thaim that says he's ower auld.
Those who say he is too old.

It's us that gangs til the schuil.
It's us who go to school.

You anes says that ilka day.
You ones say that every day. Us auld fowk kens that fine.
We old people know that well.

That's whit thay caws it here.
That is what they call it here. It's us that says sae.
It's us who say so.

Thaim that dis thair hamewark gits sweeties efter.
Those who do their homework receive sweets afterwards.

It's thaim an us that haes aw the graith.
It's us and them who have all the equipment

Where the subject of the verb includes two pronouns.

Me an you kens that fine.
You and I know that well. Thaim an us gangs thegither.
Us and them go together.

Him an her gies nae grief.
Him and her don't cause trouble.

Me an her dis bonnie pentins.
Her and I paint nice paintings.

Thaim an him haes braw motors.
He and they have nice cars.

Where the subject is a plural noun.

Weemen kens that fine.
Women know that well. Ma brakes haes went.
My brakes have gone.

Fowk that comes unbidden, sits unserred.
People who come uninvited, sit unserved .

Auld men dees an bairns suin forgits.
Old men die and children soon forget.

Whan the kye comes hame.
When the cows come home.

As the days lenthens the cauld strenthens.
As the days get longer the cold gets stronger.

Fowk that haes sair feet canna daunder.
People who have sore feet can't go for walks.

Bairns that dis guid gangs tae hieven.
Children who do good go to heaven.

Where the plural pronoun is separated from the verb by some other word or words.

Us twa whiles gangs thare.
Us two sometimes go there.

Us three whiles haes pizza.
Us three sometimes have pizza.

Youse anes says whit youse means.
You ones say what you mean.

Youse anes aye dis that on a Seturday.
You ones always do that on a saturday;

Some fowk frae Jeddart thinks he's richt, but ithers frae here mainteens the contrar.
Some people from Jedburgh thinks he's right, but others from here maintain the opposite.

Where the infinitive is used for a narrative past the verb sometimes takes the ending s even in the first person singular and after a single personal pronoun.

A niver sees him nou.
I never see him now. An in we comes.
And in we came.

Cut that oot the nou A says.
Stop that now I said.

A says no tae come the morn.
I said not to come tomorrow.

The present indicative (the mood of the present tense expressing fact).

The present indicative is usually formed by adding s to the infinitive.

Infinitive Present indicative

eat eat eats eats

gie give gies gives

greet cry greets crys

hae have haes has

juidge judge juidges judges

lowp leap lowps leaps

pech pant pechs pants

skail spill skails spills

skelloch scream skellochs screams

shak shake shaks shakes

smou smile smous smiles

smourich kiss smourichs kisses

wirk work wirks works

wiss wish wisses wishes

She dis that aw the time.
She does that all the time. He kens whaur tae gang.
He knows where to go.

She washes the fluir ilka Monanday.
She washes the floor every Monday.

It peys tae tak tent o yer caur.
It pays to look after your car.

Interrogative sentences (questions) may begin with a verb instead of an auxiliary.

Think ye sae?
Do you think so? Cam ye by Athol?
Did you come past Athol?

Negative verbs.

Single syllable verbs used to be negated by affixing na or nae.

A carena a tait.
I don't care a bit. He kensna whaur she is.
He doesn't know where she is.

A amna duin yit.
I'm not finished yet. He'll carena a tait.
He won't care a bit.

These are now usually replaced by modal verb forms or no.

A dinna care a tait.
I don't care a bit. He disna ken whaur she is.
He doesn't know where she is.

A'm no duin yit.
I'm not finished yet. He'll no care a tait.
He won't care a bit.

The usual negative with past tense verbs is niver.

A naurhaund coft the haliday, but A coudna gang till the hinend o Augist sae A niver coft it.
I nearly bought the holiday, but I couldn't go until the end of August so I didn't buy it.

A niver gotten stairtit till nine.
I didn't get started until nine. A will niver iver dae drogs.
I will at no time take drugs.

Negative or unpleasant attributes may be indicated by the prefix mis.

That wickit man mislippens his bairns.
That wicked man neglects his children.

The medicinar miskent the seemptoms.
The physician mistook the simptoms.

A misdout wir lads'll win the gemme.
I doubt our boys will win the game.

The penter wis sair mistrystit wi the onding.
The painter was extremely dismayed by the downpour.

In middle Scots the present participle (referring to an action that is roughly contemporaneous ) was formed by adding and to the verb. By the twentieth century the pronunciation had become indistinguishable from that of the verbal noun in most dialects. During the Scots revival some Scots writers started to revive the older form spelling the present participle an. In line with modern pronunciation the form in is used here.

In words like bide, side, ride and hate the final e is dropped when forming the present participle. Where the verb ends with ie the ie changes to y.

He cam bearin praisents.
He came bearing presents. He wis bidin ootby.
He was staying outside.

He wis hatin haein tae wirk on the Sawbath.
He hated having to work on Sunday.

She wis beatin the dug.
She was beating the dog.

He's aye cairyin on lik a daft fuil body.
He's always behaving like a stupid fool person.

The dug wis cooryin doun whan the thunner clappit.
The dog was cowering when the thunder clapped.

One common word survives with a form of the older participle.

He wis aye willint tae dae't.
He was always willing to do it.

The laums willintly gaed til the slauchter.
The lambs willingly went to the slaughter.

Note that the irregular present participle of gae is gaun.

A'm gaun hame, thare's nocht tae dae.
I'm going home, there is nothing to do.

Some writers also use an apostrophe in the present participle in verbs ending with an ae, aw or ee sound, in order to represent the colloquial pronunciation.

Verb Present Participle

hae hae'n having

dae dae'n doing

faw faw'n falling

lea' lea'n leaving

lee lee'n lying

gie gie'n giving

Note the present participle of tak (take) - takkin can also be taen.

Progressive use of the present participle.

He wisna likin it an the lassie he wis wi wisna likin it.
He didn't like it and the girl he was with didn't like it.

We warna wantin tae big a new hoose.
We didn't want to build a new house.

Ye're no intendin tae open thon bottle o wine the nicht, are ye?
You don't intend to open that bottle of wine tonight, do you?

He's no liftin a wird ye say.
He doesn't understand a word you say.

Scots prefers the use of present participle to the infinitive.

Thay aye conteena wirkin till the whistle blaws.
They always continue to work until the whistle blows.

He stertit speakin til his feres.
He started to speak to his comrades.

It wis glaikit lea'in the dug in the hoose its lane.
It was thoughtless to leave the dog in the house on its own.

Ettle at eatin less gin ye're ower wechty.
Try to eat less if you're over weight.

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