They are not considered a single language because the differences are too significant. English/American doesn't compare.
For instance, I had never heard about the Swedish word "slumpmassig" (mentioned earlier in this thread).
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They are not considered a single language because the differences are too significant. English/American doesn't compare.
For instance, I had never heard about the Swedish word "slumpmassig" (mentioned earlier in this thread).
We should reform out languages!
Swe - Nor - Den = Scandinavian!
Joint language will be superior!
Swe - Nor - Den = Scandinavian!
Joint language will be superior!
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To illustrate the differences between Norwegian and Swedish, I'll translate the Swedih sentence into Norwegian. I presume "slumpmassig" means random in English.
Swedish: "Jag menar inte hur Johan förstår Fredrick, utan hur en någon slumpmässig från Växsjö förstår någon slumpmässig från Trondheim och hur de förstår någon slumpmässig från Aarhus?"
Norwegian: "Jeg mener ikke hvordan Johan forstår Fredrick, men hvordan en tilfeldig fra Vaxsjo forstår en tilfeldig fra Trondheim, og hvordan de forstår tilfeldige fra Aarhus?"
This is a litteral translation. The sentence doesnt sound perfect in Norwegian. I would have added "person" after "tilfeldig" ( a random person). Also note that Johan, Fredrick, Vaxsjo and Trondheim are names, and therefore are identical.
As you can see, the senteces are similar, yet hardly any words are identical. English/Armerican, as I said, doesnt compare.
Swedish: "Jag menar inte hur Johan förstår Fredrick, utan hur en någon slumpmässig från Växsjö förstår någon slumpmässig från Trondheim och hur de förstår någon slumpmässig från Aarhus?"
Norwegian: "Jeg mener ikke hvordan Johan forstår Fredrick, men hvordan en tilfeldig fra Vaxsjo forstår en tilfeldig fra Trondheim, og hvordan de forstår tilfeldige fra Aarhus?"
This is a litteral translation. The sentence doesnt sound perfect in Norwegian. I would have added "person" after "tilfeldig" ( a random person). Also note that Johan, Fredrick, Vaxsjo and Trondheim are names, and therefore are identical.
As you can see, the senteces are similar, yet hardly any words are identical. English/Armerican, as I said, doesnt compare.
I can still understand it.
ikke = icke
tilfeldig = tillfällig
I would also have added person after slumpmässig but I did a literal translation.
Many words are in both languages but are used differently.
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Yes, you can understand it, but there is no denying the languages are not the same. I can understand most of a Swedish text, yet I would be terrible at writing a Swedish text on my own.
The American English and English are far more similar. As long as you don't mix up lorry/truck, pavement/sidewalk, armour/armor and lift/elevator you have most of the differences covered. (There are more differences, I know, but you get the point).
I think it is very fascinating how the three languages can be understood even if you can only speak one of them. You just understand them when you hear them. I worked for many years as a costumer service representative (on phone) with costumers from all three countries and it was fascinating how easily it was too understand all of them, even if I can only speak one of the languages (swedish).
Not sure what you mean. Are you referring to spoken og written language? Bokmål is not a dialect, but one of two Norwegean written languages. Noone speaks bokmål, as its not a dialect. A lot of people from from "østlandet" believe so, though.
Dem täläd öllör såjno sökön-språk, ö ed wa, för, int undli, dö summör jegd emå sunnå eld westa sjun, ö summör bört-a blåbjari, dar soli gör nid.
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I think perhaps the grammar of the languages differ in some cases? Honestly, I sometimes have a harder time grasping what my Scanian friend says than the Norwegian and Danish guys I play games with. When it gets fast paced you don't always manage to catch all the words, but so long as we have a normal conversational pace there is little trouble. Should there be any word that is very different from the other two languages that really isn't much of an issue anyway since we can explain the word using those we have in common (or in English, if it gets really tricky). Never had a situation where I failed to understand another Scandinavian and had to resort to English though.
I'm not thinking of riksmål. Both riksmål and bokmål are types of written Norwegian. You need to distinguish between written and verbal language.
You say "many speak bokmål". May I ask, how do you speak it? Do you pronounce every letter? I'm from Bergen, and I write in bokmål. Do I speak bokmål?
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When I picture myself speaking bokmål, I pronounce every letter. Meaning pronouncing the "g" in "jeg" and so on. Noone does that- people speak in dialects. I agree to the latter half of your post, though
No, you dont speak bokmål as you got that horrible guttural R you adopted in the 1800's
People in Oslo and many of the surrounding areas on the other hand speak bokmål, according to wikipedia 20% of the population does so too.
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When I picture myself speaking bokmål, I pronounce every letter. Meaning pronouncing the "g" in "jeg" and so on. Noone does that- people speak in dialects. I agree to the latter half of your post, though
Heh, H is a mute letter. Does that mean you dont pronouce it when you say Hamburger? Do you say Amburger?
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No, you dont speak bokmål as you got that horrible guttural R you adopted in the 1800's
People in Oslo and many of the surrounding areas on the other hand speak bokmål, according to wikipedia 20% of the population does so too.
Who says the people in Oslo+ surrounding areas speak bokmål? I write in bokmål too. Who decides that my "r" is not bokmål?
The truth is "østlands"/"oslosk" are just dialects like any other. We all write in bokmål and speak different dialects.
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I speak bokmål, so does 20% of the population. I dont undetstand how you can deny this.
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I speak a dialect close to bokmål and much closer than it is to nynorsk, but I don't think I have ever said that I speak bokmål.
Like others have said before, Danish written language is VERY easy to understand. I think it is actually closer to bokmål than bokmål is to nynorsk (just watch out for words spelled exactly the same way, but have a completely different meaning in the other language. Wiki has a few examples here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_Norwegian_Bokmål_and_Standard_Danish#False_friends ). Spoken however, Swedish is somewhat easier to understand than Danish (because of the lack of the mentioned potato in Danish throats), but I have never had to use English in either country. Some dialects of Norwegian are at least on the same difficulty to understand as Danish (never been in Copenhagen, just in Jutland) and Swedish (never been in Stockholm. Usually just across the border to buy cheap food, but I have been in other parts of Sweden as well during holidays/vacation(what's the difference between these?)). Icelandic is much more difficult to read. It does look really cool though (never heard someone speak Icelandic). Compared to Icelandic, Faroese looks closer to Norwegian nynorsk than Icelandic is, and I find it somewhat easier to understand than Icelandic (again, only looked at a few Wikipedia articles in these last two languages, so can't really say for sure).
Like others have said before, Danish written language is VERY easy to understand. I think it is actually closer to bokmål than bokmål is to nynorsk (just watch out for words spelled exactly the same way, but have a completely different meaning in the other language. Wiki has a few examples here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_Norwegian_Bokmål_and_Standard_Danish#False_friends ). Spoken however, Swedish is somewhat easier to understand than Danish (because of the lack of the mentioned potato in Danish throats), but I have never had to use English in either country. Some dialects of Norwegian are at least on the same difficulty to understand as Danish (never been in Copenhagen, just in Jutland) and Swedish (never been in Stockholm. Usually just across the border to buy cheap food, but I have been in other parts of Sweden as well during holidays/vacation(what's the difference between these?)). Icelandic is much more difficult to read. It does look really cool though (never heard someone speak Icelandic). Compared to Icelandic, Faroese looks closer to Norwegian nynorsk than Icelandic is, and I find it somewhat easier to understand than Icelandic (again, only looked at a few Wikipedia articles in these last two languages, so can't really say for sure).
