Fitriani, Intan Nur (2025) A Depiction of Scottish Dialect in Trainspotting Novel by Irvine Welsh (1993). Undergraduate thesis, Faculty of Humanity.

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Abstract

This study examines the use of dialect in the novel Trainspotting. Trainspotting heavily uses Scottish dialect and Standard English, and the language varies for each character. Dialect is a variety of the standard language and is usually regarded as careless or a sub-variety of language. Using the descriptive qualitative methods, the study analyzed the dialect used by the three characters of Trainspotting, Renton, Dianne, and Spud, then discussed the factor that impacts their use of language and found the characters' identities based on linguistic use. In investigating the patterns, the writer uses Janet Holmes's theory of situational factors. The data was obtained from all direct utterances from those three characters in the novel. The writer finds that Renton and Spud use many Scottish dialects. It was found that Renton's utterances showed a high use of the morphological features of the Scottish dialect. The most prominent features are the use of Scottish pronouns such as ah and ye and the use of negation. Meanwhile, for Spud, syntax and semantics are the most important aspects of Scottish dialect usage. The most prominent feature is filler words such as ken, likeasay, "likes," which appeared in 92% of his utterances. On the contrary, Dianne uses the least Scottish dialect in her utterances. This study also suggests that participant and setting are the strongest factors in language use in this novel. In comparison, the topic and function of language are still heavily dependent on other factors. By analyzing the factors of dialect use, the writer could determine the character's identity performance. Renton’s ability to switch dialects is evidence of dual identity, as a friend to his local friends and an upper-class intellectual when he is with authority. However, Spud's self-conscious inability to speak Standard English makes him feel inferior.
Keywords: Dialect, Scottish Dialect, Situational Factors of Language, Standard English, nonstandard English

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