(Scottish) wasn't.
His head... his head... his face... it wisnae there. Nae black curly hair, nae eyes - I've never seen eyes sae blue as Joe's. Irises blue as yon sky. Blown tae smithereens... his gorgeous, bonny head, no there.
"wisnae" means: wasn't.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
"wisnae" means: wasn't.. Register: neutral, standard English, usable in most everyday contexts. Note the regional or dialect label (Scottish) — usage may sound odd outside that variety. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in a comparable context.
"wisnae" means: wasn't.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
Add your own interpretation of "wisnae".
Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
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(Scotland) were not.
(Scotland) did not.
(Scotland) will not.
A Scottish dialect contraction of "were not," pronounced with the characteristic Scottish vowel sounds and the "-nae" negative suffix that's a signature feature of Scots language. You'll hear it in casual speech, dialogue in Scottish literature, and song lyrics. It sits alongside "wasnae" (wasn't), "didnae" (didn't), and "cannae" (can't) as part of the beautifully economical Scottish system of negating verbs. If you're writing a Scottish character, getting the "-nae" forms right matters.
(Scotland) need not.