Glasgow University researchers have created a new online map that will allow users to travel the country interactively for a greater understanding of the modern Scottish language.

The map will allow users to search for Scottish texts, authors and words from 1945 to the present day to locate their origins and areas of usage. Over one thousand written and spoken texts are available, ranging from informal conversations to university lectures, modern prose fiction to Scottish Parliamentary documents. Recordings of varieties of Scots such as Doric in the North-East and urban Scots in Glasgow and Edinburgh are also accessible through the map.

Dr Wendy Anderson, research assistant on the project said: "The map allows researchers, teachers and members of the public to explore the rich linguistic diversity of Scotland. The map allows users to see the areas of usage of certain Scottish words for a better understanding of the variety of languages in Scotland and how these are spread over the country."

The online map is part of the Scottish Corpus of Texts and Speech (SCOTS) project, easy-to-use, web-based multimedia resource, which offers a number of features for investigating dialects of Scots and Scottish English. The project is being developed by Glasgow University researchers and is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). The team behind the SCOTS project have recently been awarded further funding from the AHRC to create a Corpus of Modern Scottish Writing from the period 1700-1945 which will also be available for online searching and linguistic analysis.

Kate Richardson (K.Richardson@admin.gla.ac.uk)

For more information please contact the University of Glasgow?s Media Relations Office on 0141 330 3683 or email K.Richardson@admin.gla.ac.uk

The SCOTS online map can be found at: http://www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk/corpus/search/advanced.php. The SCOTS homepage can be viewed at: www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk

SCOTS is a venture by the Department of English Language and STELLA project at the University of Glasgow.

The University of Glasgow is one of the United Kingdom?s oldest and most prestigious universities, with an international reputation for its research and teaching and an important role in the cultural and commercial life of the country.

The AHRC funds postgraduate training and research in the arts and humanities, from archaeology and English literature to design and dance. The quality and range of research supported not only provides social and cultural benefits but also contributes to the economic success of the UK. For further information on the AHRC, please see their website www.ahrc.ac.uk.

First published: 22 January 2007