ABSTRACT
The period 1660-1830 has been seen as a crucial span of time in the history of the English language, since there is witnessed a significant ideological shift in relation to the 'standardization' of English in Britain, with serious implications for perceptions of and attitudes towards regional dialects. The 'Border ballads' hint at the vestiges of a deeply-rooted political conflict between the Scots and the English and representing an ancient 'North-South' divide. In linguistic terms also Lowland Scottish English and Northumbrian English were descended from the same, English, roots of Old Northumbrian in the Old English period. Northern poetry, especially the anonymous popular ballads and songs, are important sources of evidence for Northern dialect in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. The 'Border ballads' hint at the vestiges of a deeply-rooted political conflict between the Scots and the English and representing an ancient 'North-South' divide.
