Lallans (/ˈlælənz/) (a variant of the Modern Scots word lawlands [ˈlo̜ːlən(d)z, ˈlɑːlənz] meaning the lowlands of Scotland), is a term that was traditionally used to refer to the Scots language as a whole. However, more recent interpretations assume it refers to the dialects of south and central Scotland, while Doric, a term once used to refer to Scots dialects in general, is now generally seen to refer to the Mid Northern Scots dialects spoken in the north-east of Scotland. Both Robert Burns and Robert Louis Stevenson used it to refer to the Scots language.