English: A map showing the historic and present-day distribution of the English/Scots language (not to be confused with Scottish Gaelic) within the borders of modern Scotland and Ulster. Northumbrian Old English had been established in what is now southeastern Scotland as far as the River Forth by the seventh century, as the region was part of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Northumbria. It remained largely confined to this area until the thirteenth century, continuing in common use while Gaelic was the language of the Scottish court. The succeeding variety of Early northern Middle English spoken in southeastern Scotland, also known as Early Scots, began to diverge from that of Northumbria.

From the thirteenth century, Early Scots spread further into Scotland via the burghs, proto-urban institutions which were first established by King David I. The growth in prestige of Early Scots in the fourteenth century, and the complementary decline of French in Scotland, made Scots the prestige language of most of eastern Scotland.

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  The extent of Old English by the beginning of the 9th century in the northern portion of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Northumbria, now modern southeastern Scotland, which had been established there since the 7th century
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  (In addition to red) The extent of Early Scots – called Inglis or Ynglis by its speakers during the period – by the beginning of the 15th century
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  (In addition to red and orange) The present-day extent of Modern Scots