Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Some consider that Scots is simply a northerly dialect of English. Others assert that it is a language in its own right, as distinct from English as Dutch is distinct from German, with its own oral and literary heritage. What is the truth of the matter?
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Adam Aitken (1985) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 10 related papers. Consider them for comparative context: