In Denmark, Donald Duck is more popular than Mickey Mouse… (Photo courtesy of Nakken18 at Flickr, CC License.)

Har du set den ny Star Wars-film? (Have you seen the new SW movie?) Ever since nytår (New Year) I’ve been wanting to do a post for all the Star Wars fans out there! But I hate to say it – besides lyssværd (light sabre, literally ”light sword”!) and Må kraften være med dig! (May the force be with you!) there isn’t a lot of Star Wars vocabulary in Danish: the Jedi is jedien, Princess Leia is prinsesse Leia, Luke Skywalker is … Luke Skywalker.

The good thing is: Lots of names from American (and English) popular culture have got a Danish makeover! (Adds a bit of colour to the world, doesn’t it?) Below you can see some of the most well-known ones – feel free to add comments if I’ve forgotten anything! 🙂 Ever since WW2 or so Danish children have been growing up with Disney – as you can see by the number of Disney-related names. (Of course Transparent Language is not affiliated with Disney or any other concern!) Fun fact: While lots of Americans love Mickey Mouse (yes, that’s the Danish name too), Anders And (Donald Duck) is the popular one in Denmark! 🙂

Peter Plys (”Peter Plush”) – Winnie-the-Pooh
Skipper Skræk (”Skipper Fear”) – Popeye
Steen og Stoffer (”Steen and ’stopher”) – Calvin and Hobbes (Stoffer is also a play on the word stof ”textile”)

Andeby – Duckburg
Anders And – Donald Duck (and means duck)
Andersine And – Daisy Duck (-ine is a common ending in women’s names: Christine)
Joakim von And [YOHahkeem fonn AN] – Scrooge McDuck (sometimes he’s just called onkel Joakim)
Rip, Rap og Rup – Huey, Dewey and Louie
Fætter Højben (”Cousin High-leg”) – Gladstone Gander
Georg Gearløs – Gyro Gearloose
Hexia de Trick (”Witchia” de Trick) – Magica De Spell
bjørnebanden (”the bear gang”) – Beagle Boys

Mickey Mouse
Minnie Mouse
Pluto
Chip og Chap – Chip’n Dale
Fedtmule (”Fat-muzzle”) – Goofy

Ringenes Herre – The Lord of the Rings
Bilbo Sækker (”Bilbo Bagger”) – Bilbo Baggins
Herredet (”The Old District”) – The Shire

And finally, to show that Danes aren’t exclusively influenced by the English-speaking world, a couple of Swedish children’s heroes… 😉

Emil fra Lønneberg – Emil i Lönneberga = Emil of Lönneberga
Pippi Langstrømpe – Pippi Långstrump = Pippi Longstocking