Archive for the year 2008
Think, think, and think-why 3? Posted by kari on Dec 5, 2008
Tror, synes, tenker. Think, think, think. I usually say that Norwegian grammar is pretty easy, but one component for which I sympathize with beginners is the English word “to think.” In truth, English employs many different words that have the same meaning. For example, “to weigh” We can weigh a certain amount of pounds, or we can weigh our…
Not so homogeneous a population after all Posted by kari on Dec 2, 2008
As I mentioned in several earlier blogs, the Norwegian population isn’t as homogeneous as it used to be nor as most people believe it is. Not everyone in Norway has blond hair and blue eyes. A good portion of the northernmost part of the country is inhabited by a minority, indigenous population, the Sami people. Samis inhabit…
Kveldsmat-a before bed-time snack Posted by kari on Nov 23, 2008
Kveldsmat literally means “evening food.” How many of you eat a late night snack soon before you fall asleep? For me it all depends on what time I ate dinner (middag) and how substantial it was. I ask myself, “Er jeg mett eller sulten?” (am I full or hungry?) It’s not a habit for me…
Am I Norwegian-American or just American? Posted by kari on Nov 21, 2008
There are several pockets of the United States that are heavily populated with descendants of Norwegians. When someone asks me where my descendants are from, I say Norway (because literally all of my great-grandparents except one are from Norway and without them, my existence would be impossible). However, I don’t say that I am Norwegian. Years ago before…
Norwegian, Danish, and Swedish–what’s the relationship? Posted by kari on Nov 20, 2008
Like the romance languages, Scandinavian languages have much in common. Danes and Norwegians can understand each other and so can Norwegians and Swedes. Swedish and Danish do not have quite as much in common. Norwegian seems to be the common denominator. You might wonder why this is? Denmark, Sweden, and Norway have a complicated relationship. …
The demise of norsk? Posted by kari on Nov 17, 2008
I attended the University of Oslo spring semester of my junior year of college in 2006. Fortunately for me, I was proficient enough in the Norwegian language that I could choose to take classes beyond those designed for international students. There were only a couple dozen classes taught in English that were offered to international…
Caution: Designated forest areas in Norway Posted by kari on Nov 14, 2008
Europeans are so liberal. I remember hearing that Europeans are liberal since middle school. Women in France don’t shave their armpits or legs. Marijuana is legal in Amsterdam. Did you ever hear about a gay part of a forest in Norway-with lots of bird feeders? I lived in the outskirts of Oslo for 8 months and…