BBB Etymology - Auld Lang Syne
"Auld Lang Syne" is a poem by Robert Burns (1759–1796), although a similar poem by Robert Ayton (1570-1638), not to mention even older folk songs, use the same phrase, and may well have inspired Burns.
The song's name is in Scots, and may be translated literally as 'old long since', or more idiomatically 'long ago', or 'days gone by'. In his retelling of fairy tales in the Scots language, Matthew Fitt uses the phrase “In the days of auld lang syne” as the equivalent of “Once upon a time”. In Scots Syne is pronounced like the English word sign — IPA: [sain]—not [zain] as many people pronounce it.
"Auld" is the Scots descendent of the same Old English "ald" that devolved into "old" elsewhere in English. Old English "lang" similarly developed into "long" except in Scotland and Northern England. "Syne" comes from Old English siððan (siththan) from sið+þan "after that," related to German seitdem "since." Other dialects developed sið+þennes (sith+thennes) = sithence which later reduced to "since."
The song's name is in Scots, and may be translated literally as 'old long since', or more idiomatically 'long ago', or 'days gone by'. In his retelling of fairy tales in the Scots language, Matthew Fitt uses the phrase “In the days of auld lang syne” as the equivalent of “Once upon a time”. In Scots Syne is pronounced like the English word sign — IPA: [sain]—not [zain] as many people pronounce it.
"Auld" is the Scots descendent of the same Old English "ald" that devolved into "old" elsewhere in English. Old English "lang" similarly developed into "long" except in Scotland and Northern England. "Syne" comes from Old English siððan (siththan) from sið+þan "after that," related to German seitdem "since." Other dialects developed sið+þennes (sith+thennes) = sithence which later reduced to "since."
