Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

To: SunkenCiv
Icelandic is to the Scandinavian languages--Swedish, Norwegian, and Danish--kind of like what Shakespearean English is to modern English. Icelandic tends to preserve older forms and words, in large part due to the country's comparative geographical isolation from the rest of Europe.

At our recent Scandinavian picnic here in St. Louis, I met a professor who actually is an expert in Icelandic and Old Norse.

11 posted on 10/05/2013 9:46:36 PM PDT by Charles Henrickson (Swedish-American)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies ]


To: Charles Henrickson
in large part due to the country's comparative geographical isolation from the rest of Europe.

Similar analogy can be drawn, for the same reason, between the French of the Quebecois vs. French as spoken in France.

13 posted on 10/05/2013 9:58:10 PM PDT by Michael.SF. (0bama lied, Stevens died, now 0bama covers up the lies.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies ]

To: Charles Henrickson

I lived in Denmark from 1960-1963 and became fluent in Danish. The interesting thing is that when you have your “ear” for the language you will find there are amazing differences. For instance when speaking with a farmer in southern Jylland you will hear “old English” pronunciations of lots of words and phrases.

On the other hand the Danish spoken in Copenhagen is very different. Nevertheless it is an interesting language to say the least.


29 posted on 10/06/2013 6:29:34 AM PDT by Utah Binger (Southern Utah where the world comes to see America)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson