Terminology

Similarly to the south, any discussion of English in the north must begin with a consideration of terminology as there are many and frequently contradictory usages found in treatments of language in Ulster.

Ulster English: 1) A cover term for various forms of English used in Northern Ireland. 2) A specific reference to English brought to Ulster from the north-west Midlands of England (Adams 1958: 61) and separate from the Scots element in the province. Because Ulster Scots is found in the peripheral counties of Ulster (Donegal, Derry, Antrim and Down), the label Mid-Ulster English (Harris 1984) is sometimes used to refer to general forms of English in Northern Ireland which are not derived from Scots.

Ulster Scots: This refers to a continuation of the Scots language brought to Ireland chiefly in the 17^th century onwards. Some tens of thousands of Scots arrived in the first half of this century and were mainly from the West-Mid and South-West Lowlands. Ulster Scots today still shows many features typical of the most characteristic form of English in Scotland, Scots.

Northern Irish English: This subsumes all kinds of English in the north of the country, i.e. in all the nine countries of the province of Ulster.