Norwegian Language Blog

Are you as overwhelmed by all of the health tips you see on TV, hear on the radio, and read about in magazines?  There are certain products that claim to be the best for healthy skin, foods and herbs that are said to promote emotional stability, products that are supposed to make your teeth and bones strong, and so on and so on.  Why don´t we all just follow the Norwegian tradition of taking tran (cod liver oil), which kills a whole bunch of birds with one stone?!  I must admit I have yet to try tran myself, but if it were put in front of me, I´d do it.

Aside from the nasty fishy taste, I´ve heard so many great things about tran.  I don´t think it´s quite as common today as it was decades ago, but it is still popular among Norwegians.  Tran is made from the oil from cod liver.  In the olden days, cod liver was left in a vat in the sun to ferment and the oil was skimmed off of the fish.  In the last hundred years, tran has been produced by boiling cod livers and extracting the oil.

So what are the benefits of taking tran?  Cod liver oil is rich with Vitamin A, Vitamin D, and Omega-3 fatty acids, which together are responsible for healthy skin, teeth, bones, joints, cardiovascular system, nervous system, digestive system, and mood stability.  Wow!

The reason tran became so popular amongst Norwegians is because Norway is so far north and there are months with little to no sun at all depending on the location.  Therefore, people need extra Vitamin D supplements to take the place of the sun.

Believe it or not, this same product had multiple uses years and years ago.  In fact, it was one of Norway´s most valuable commodities.  Cod liver oil (originally called ´lysi´meaning light) was used in fuel lamps, to tan skins, and as an ingredient in paints and soaps.  Kind of reminds me of lutefisk which contains lye that is also an ingredient in soap.

Nevertheless, I´m going to try it this winter and drink lots of it if this coming winter is anything like last!

You can even take it in capsule form!

Have you ever seen a norsk lundehund?  I don´t believe I have ever seen one as I wasn´t aware of their existence until I read the latest issue of Viking.  I´m not usually very interested in small dogs, but this dog seems pretty cool.

Besides it´s nice looking coat and adorable face, the lundehund has several very unique features.  While most dogs have 4 toes, this little dog has 6!    In addition to it´s increased gripping abilities, it can crane it´s neck 180 degrees backwards and rest it on it´s back.  I have a weimaraner who can do this too-it looks so uncomfortable!  Craning it´s neck isn´t the only joint related rarity the lundehund boasts.  It can turn it´s forelegs to the side at a 90 degree angle perpendicular to it´s body.  That means it can lay completely flat on the ground with it´s 4 legs spread straight out.  The lundehund also has ears that are normally upright, but can be closed completely to protect from dirt and moisture.

The word lundehund comes from the Norwegian word lundefugl, which means puffin bird.  This breed has been in Norway since the 1600s and was used primarily to hunt along the coasts for puffins and their eggs.  Because of the lundehund´s flexibility and super traction paws, these dogs were at an advantage for hunting puffins in the nooks and crannies of cliffs and caves on the coast.  The Lofoten Islands are home to many puffins and coincidentally where the lundehund traces it´s earliest roots to.  The isolation of a small fishing village called Måstad (on the island of Værøy, one of Lofoten´s islands) and consequent poor communication with the outside world is arguably the only reason the lundehund exists today.  In every other area the lundehund inhabited, it is extinct.

While there are about 2,000 of these dogs worldwide (350 in the U.S. and most of the rest in Norway) today, there was a time when there were only 6.  Canine Distemper struck this breed 2 separate times-once around World War II eliminating many of them and then again in the early 1960s.  Through careful breeding, the lundehund was able to survive as a species and is no longer considered endangered.

This awesome little dog might be on my wish list in the future to join my lovely Weimaraner.

Sure, there are more and more English words being incorporated into the Norwegian language all the time.  Courtesy of American films, television, music, and of course the internet, modern Norwegians use words like cool, jeans, baby, drink, chips, and many more.   Let´s not forget, however, the massive influence the Vikings had on the English language.  You may be surprised to know how many English words are derived from old Norse or Norwegian.

map showing Scandinavian settlement from the 8th-11th centuries as indicated by color

dirt-comes from ´drit´which means feces

berserk-comes from ´berserkr´ which means bare shirt (signifying the courage of the Vikings)

reindeer-comes from ´hreindyri´ (reinsdyr på norsk)

town-comes from ´tun´which means an open space between buildings

hell-comes from ´Hel´the ruler of the underworld in Norse mythology

ugly-comes from ´uggligir´which means dreadful

husband-comes from ´husbondi´which means master of the house

gun-comes from ´gunn´which means war or battle

anger-comes from ´angr´which means trouble or affliction

knife-comes from ´kniv´

sister-søster

smile-smil

seat-sete

kniv-knife

There are over 1,000 old Norse words that are part of the English language today.  Additionally, there are many place names in England that are directly related to Viking settlements.  Place names that end in ´by´(village or town)´thorpe´(farm), ´thwaite´ (clearing) and ´toft´(homestead) are but a few.  There are also many family names that end in ´son.´

So next time you hear or see English words in Norway, remember that there are many more Norwegian or old Norse words that have influenced the English language.  The Vikings sure got around and made their mark!