A gang-roond oor Sun Gird – or a tour of our Solar System – describes the planets orbiting the Sun, the planetary moons, rings, and other features, and some of the facts relating to gravity and size. Until 2006 there were officially nine planets in our system but in that year Pluto was demoted to the status of a new category known as ‘dwarf planets’ and so now we are back to eight planets again.

Below is a list of some terminology in Scots with equivalents in English. A number of words used here in a scientific and theoretical context are explained. For all other vocabulary please consult the Concise Scots Dictionary.

Aff-warld – adjective, interplanetary; noun, space

Astrologue – noun, astronomer

Atom-fykie – adjective, radioactive

Atween starns – adjective, intersolar

Bide-awee – adjective, short duration

Birl – verb, rotate, spin, turn

Bree – noun, (i) liquid or partly condensed substance or elements, (ii) soup

Cheil, noun, (i) person, (ii) thing, (iii) object

Contergaits – adjective, (i) in contrary direction, (ii) retrograde orbit

Couslem – noun, alternative name for Venus used in the Southern dialect of Scots

Droich – noun, dwarf

Dunt – noun, impact or strike

Etin –noun, giant

Fiery besom – noun, comet

Gang-roond – noun tour, journey or movement around; verb tour, orbit around

Gird – noun, (i) circumference or girth, (ii) orbital zone

Jalouse – verb, conjecture, imagine, theorise

Kenspeckles (plural) – noun, features, prominent aspects

Laich – adjective, low; noun, (i) low lying area or depression, (ii) impact basin

Lang-bidin – adjective, long duration

Mak – verb, create, make

Makkit – created

Plouk – noun, blemish or spot

Prog – noun, probe, reconnaissance craft

Rid Etin – noun, Red Giant

Scientific speirar – noun, scientist, scientific investigator or researcher

Scientific wittins – noun, scientific data or intelligence

Scowp – noun, telescope

Sun Gird – noun, Solar system

Sunplouk – noun, Sun spot

White Droich – noun, White Dwarf

Vizzie – verb, closely examine, study