--- In
cybalist@yahoogroups.com, Andrew Jarrette <anjarrette@...>
wrote:
>
>
>
> squilluncus <grvs@...> wrote:
> --- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, Andrew Jarrette <anjarrette@...>
> wrote:
> >
> First an auto-correction: there is no noun "steg" in Danish
("trin"
> is "a step upwards", "skridt" a "step horizontally"). There is the
> preterite of "stige", "steg", which I suspect is homophonical
> to "steak".
>
> -- I got the idea from you:
>
>
> -- Pardon me for asking, but are you Swedish or Danish? I'm a bit
>confused.
>
>
I am a Swedish citizen living in Scania which was conquered from the
Danes in 1658. Since my childhood I have been exposed to the non-
urban dialect of this province, which is -despite one of the most
successful integration processes in history lasting the last 350
years- characterized as East-Danish by linguists.
My literate abilities is in the Swedish language but I frequently
watch Danish TV and read Danish papers on the web (Berlingske and
JP, not just Politiken!).
Swedish, Danish and Norwegian are understandable between the
speakers of these languages. The written languages and the received
vocabulary differs, but thanks to dialect words in your own language
you have a vocabulary rich enough to understand that of the other
languages. There are, however, words that a treacherous, as "bolle"
in Danish (futuere) and "bolla" in Swedish (juggle with balls),
bög (beech in Danish, gay in Swedish), bösse (gay in Danish and gun
in Swedish). This problem, however, is not more problematic than the
one where you as an Englishman can't "throw stones" in America, you
must "throw rocks" (so I've been told).
The big mistake as a Scandinavian is to believe that you can learn
the neighbouring language; it will never be a success, you will
always be found out. (If you have time and endurance I've an
anecdote added below*).
Often a word like "steg" in Swedish is missing in Danish and
represented by two different words like "trin" and "skridt". We
have "skritt" in Swedish too, but it is merely a term restricted to
equitation.
>
> -- I thought you were implying that "steg" could also mean "step" -
- ?? I take it you are auto-correcting yourself as well as me?
>
Sorry about my hasty posting without checking this out properly.
>I would now like to learn more about Danish, from the many things
>you and others have written about it.
>
There are quite a few sites on the web like:
http://dkheadlines.com/learndanish.htm
http://www.wannalearn.com/Academic_Subjects/World_Languages/Danish/
If ýou as a linguist want a more descriptive but brief overview
there is:
http://www.volny.cz/r.kolarik/Scanlang.htm
*) Now to the anecdote section:
I once heard an academic telling me how he prepared a stay on
Jutland studying Danish and using his newly gained knowledge there.
He was to stay on a farm for a week together with his down-to-earth
wife with no ambitions whatsoever to be learned.
After the week the old lady accomodating them on the farm confided
to his wife: "I have had no difficulty understanding you, but the
dialect your husband is speaking is really tough to catch."
Another anecdote is about the Danish pronunciation strongly
diverging from written language.
In the olden days before tapes or other facilities of hearing the
language you studied Icelanders were taught Danish by Icelandic
teachers.
Many Icelanders coming to Denmark were in despair when trying to
communicate; they couldn't understand nor be understood despite
multiannual studies.
They were comforted however when coming to Sweden or Norway when
finding out that they could communicate with ease in the Danish they
had learnt in school.
I beg you to have forbearance with this lengthy and garrulous
attempt to clear up earlier confusions I've caused.
Lars