Scottish vs. Scots

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

I am Scottish... as far as background goes I'm around 1/2 Scots and 1/2 Irish. Like most people I'm unsure of my background more than 3 or 4 generations back - and even then there's missing pieces. So could anyone really call themself indigenous Scots unless they can trace more than half their lineage back to the formation of "The Scots" from the Picts, the Gaels and the Brythons. Even then - there has been a lot of migration to Scotland in the last 1000years - especially the lowlands.
I consider myself both Scottish and a Scot... in most contexts I'm sure a lot of people of first or second generation immigrants would too, but why correct them on this issue if they are proud of being integrated into Scottish society? I certainly wouldnt.

Suppose for the moment you and your wife upped sticks and moved to Ethiopia. Your children are born there. Are you/they Ethiopians? Or are they citizens of Ethiopia, which is very much something else, all together.

[tyger]

-ish

suff.

Of, relating to, or being: Scottish.

Characteristic of: girlish.
Having the usually undesirable qualities of: childish.
Approximately; somewhat: greenish.
Tending toward; preoccupied with: selfish.

ETYMOLOGY:
Middle English, from Old English -isc

[Paul]

Suppose for the moment you and your wife upped sticks and moved to Ethiopia. Your children are born there. Are you/they Ethiopians? Or are they citizens of Ethiopia, which is very much something else, all together.

Well if I did move to any country and my kids were born there they could consider thenselves Ethiopians with a Scottish & Scots background.

It's funny that you said Ethiopia - as I studied it for a short period of time and learned that the background of most of the people is far from indigenous, which is similar to the Scottish position - although Scotland's groups have become less ethnically divided culturally. As far as I'm aware the Amhara are said to have been the most indigenous in Ethiopia and they comprise of around 25% of the population; and even then this would include those with mixed ancestry and "some" Amhara blood. A similar thing could be said for the Picts - who have lived in specific areas and have integrated with other Scots with mixed lineages through time. How many people in Scotland would have more than 50% Pictish ancestry? I'd bet it would be 25% or even much, much less.