Laddie Is Scottish and Northern English
A laddie is a boy or young man. The word belongs to Scotland and northern England, alongside its partner lassie.
A laddie is a boy or young man, and the word is firmly regional. It belongs to Scotland and northern England, paired with *lassie* for a girl. The affectionate diminutive ending is characteristic of Scots, which uses it far more freely than standard English — as in *wifie*, *mannie* and *doggie*.
- A boy or young man. *A young laddie.*
- Lad — the base form. *A local lad.*
- Lassie — the female equivalent. *A bonnie lassie.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | laddie | A wee laddie. |
| Plural | laddies | Two laddies. |
| Base | lad | A young lad. |
| Female | lassie | A cheerful lassie. |
| Related | lass | A country lass. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Come here, laddie.Scottish and northern.
- A lad also means an enthusiastic young man.British, sometimes with a note of disapproval.
- Lad and lass have no known origin.Both appear in Middle English.
Scots diminutives
- laddie / lassie — boy and girl
- wifie — a woman, often an older one
- mannie — a man
- housie — a small house
- Pattern — Scots adds -ie far more freely than standard English
From *lad*, of unknown origin, first recorded in the thirteenth century, plus the Scots diminutive ending *-ie*.
Where does *lad* come from?
Nobody knows. It appears in Middle English meaning a servant or young man, with no traceable ancestor.
Is laddie standard English?
It is standard in Scots and northern English. Elsewhere it sounds regional or deliberately old-fashioned.