caledonian

IPA/ˌkælɪˈdəʊniən/
KK[kˌælɪdˈoniən]IPA/ˌkælɪˈdəʊniən/

caledonian — adjective

  • caledonianpositive
  • more caledoniancomparative
  • most caledoniansuperlative

1. relating to Scotland, especially in formal, historical, or literary use

1.adjectiveC2
Definition

relating to Scotland, especially in formal, historical, or literary use

Example

Jude bought a Caledonian history book before visiting Edinburgh.

formal adjective for Scottish things

Lakshmi compared Caledonian myths with Roman stories in her essay.

Common collocations
  • Caledonian history
  • Caledonian myth
  • Caledonian tradition
Synonyms
  • Scottish

    the normal everyday adjective for people and things from Scotland

  • Scots

    used in some fixed terms such as Scots law or Scots pine

Usage Note

Seen mostly in history, literature, and fixed names. In ordinary modern conversation, Scottish is usually the more natural adjective.

Common Mistakes

I met a Caledonian student in my class.
I met a Scottish student in my class.
Caledonian sounds too literary for an ordinary modern description.

caledonian — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Scottish is the normal everyday adjective for people, food, places, and institutions connected with Scotland. Scots is narrower: learners meet it most often in set terms such as Scots law, Scots pine, and the Scots language, though it can also be a noun for the people of Scotland. Scotch is old-fashioned or inappropriate for most people-related uses, but it remains standard in a few fixed phrases such as Scotch whisky, Scotch broth, and Scotch egg. Caledonian is the most literary and formal of the four. It often appears in poetry, historical writing, company names, and place names rather than casual conversation. In normal speech, say Scottish weather or a Scottish student; a writer may choose Caledonian landscape for extra historical or poetic colour.

Caledonian ↗Scottish ↗ScotsScotch

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Caledonian comes from Caledonia, the Latin name used by the Romans for the land that is now Scotland, especially the northern part beyond their control. English later formed Caledonian from that place name to describe Scottish people, places, and traditions. Because the word stayed mostly in formal, historical, and poetic use, it sounds much less everyday than Scottish.