Scoti or Scotti is a Latin name for the Gaels. It was first recorded in the late 3rd century. At first, the term described all Gaels, including those in Ireland and those who moved to Great Britain. Later, it only referred to Gaels living in northern Britain. The kingdom where their culture spread was called Scotia, which later became known as Scotland. Over time, the people living there were called Scots.

History

An early use of the word "Scoti" appears in the Nomina Provinciarum Omnium (Names of All the Provinces), a document from around AD 312. This text lists the names and provinces of the Roman Empire. At the end of the list, a short section names tribes considered a growing threat to the Empire, including the Scoti, a new term for the Irish. The word also appears in St. Prosper's writings from AD 431, where he describes Pope Celestine sending St. Palladius to Ireland to preach "ad Scotti in Christum" ("to the Scots who believed in Christ").

Later writings from the 4th and early 5th centuries, such as those by Pacatus, Ammianus Marcellinus, Claudian, and the Chronica Gallica of 452, mention frequent attacks by the Scoti. Two references to Scoti (Σκόττοι in Greek) appear in the works of Epiphanius, Bishop of Salamis, who wrote in the 370s. Evidence suggests that Scoti raids increased starting in the early 360s, leading up to a major rebellion in 367–368, and continued until after the end of Roman rule around AD 410. The exact locations and frequency of these attacks, as well as the origins and identities of the Gaelic groups involved, remain unclear.

By the 5th century, the Gaelic or Scottish kingdom of Dál Riata had formed in what is now Argyll, Scotland. Though this kingdom was later taken over by the Pictish kingdom under Angus I in the 8th century, the mixing of Pictish and Gaelic languages over time led the English to refer to Pictland under Constantine II as "Scottish" by the early 10th century, first recorded in AD 920. The spread of English and Scots languages, influenced by Norman-French knights and the expansion of Scotland's borders under David I in the 12th century, caused the terms "Scot," "Scottish," and "Scotland" to be widely used by people from that region.

Etymology

The origin of the word "Scoti" in Late Latin is not clear. It is not from Latin, nor does it match any known Gaelic terms used by the Gaels to describe themselves or their groups. Many ideas have been suggested, but none are widely accepted by most scholars.

In the 19th century, Aonghas MacCoinnich suggested that "Scoti" came from the Gaelic word "sgaothaich," which means "crowd" or "group."

Charles Oman (1910) thought the word came from the Gaelic "scuit," meaning "cut off." He believed it described groups of Gaelic raiders who were outcasts, similar to how Vikings were seen by the Norse.

More recently, Philip Freeman (2001) suggested that "Scoti" might come from an Indo-European root, *skot, which is also found in the Ancient Greek word "skotos," meaning "darkness" or "gloom."

Linguist Kim McCone (2013) linked "Scoti" to the Old Irish word "scoth," meaning "pick," as in the best or most important part of a group, such as nobility. This comes from an older Irish form, *skotī.

Another idea connects "Scoti" to the English word "scot" (meaning "tax") and the Old Norse "skot." This term described a ceremony where land was transferred by placing a piece of earth in the lap of a new owner. This may explain why 11th-century King Olaf, an early ruler of Sweden, was sometimes called a "scot king."