{"id":457,"date":"2012-04-01T17:00:33","date_gmt":"2012-04-01T17:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/danish\/?p=457"},"modified":"2012-04-01T17:07:34","modified_gmt":"2012-04-01T17:07:34","slug":"the-secret-revealed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/danish\/2012\/04\/01\/the-secret-revealed\/","title":{"rendered":"The Secret of Danish Pronunciation Revealed"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>

There is more to this little fellow than the eye perceives\u2026<\/p><\/div>\n

For many foreigners trying to learn Danish, the natives\u2019 pronunciation is a tough nut to crack. How on earth do they do it? I met Henrik J\u00f8rgensen, lecturer and researcher at the Scandinavian Department<\/a> at Aarhus University.<\/em><\/p>\n

Mr. J\u00f8rgensen, you and your colleagues are rumoured to be on the scent of a brand new theory about the pronunciation of Danish?\"\"<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Yes, that\u2019s true. My curiosity was aroused at a seminar in Sweden last autumn. I noticed that one of the participants, a Czech linguist residing in Stockholm, was speaking pitch-perfect Danish. In the lunch break I was surprised to learn that he had only been to Denmark a couple of times. But what struck me most was his madpakke<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

You mean his packed lunch?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Exactly. As some people may be aware, this is an important difference between Danes and Swedes: Danes usually bring their own packed lunches to school or work, while a Swede would never dream of that, as warm meals are always served at the institution. But hold on a sec, the real riveting fact was this: He was eating rugbr\u00f8d<\/strong> sandwiches, just like any Dane would do!<\/p>\n

Wait\u2026 You mean there is a connection between Danish rye bread and the way the language is pronounced?<\/strong><\/p>\n

To begin with, I couldn\u2019t believe it either. The very thought reeked of prepubescent pranks. However, chance had me bumping into an expert on nutrition at a vernissage just a couple of months later. Throughout January and February we conducted an interdisciplinary survey which surprisingly seems to confirm my initial whim.<\/p>\n

How\u2019s that?<\/strong><\/p>\n

We had two test groups consisting of immigrants from the Mediterranean countries. There were ten persons in each group, of both sexes and between the ages of 19 and 64. During the weeks of testing, group A was ordered to follow a strict diet with a lot of rugbr\u00f8d<\/strong>. Group B was allowed to continue their habit of eating meals without any rugbr\u00f8d<\/strong>. At the same time, both groups were given intense Danish lessons by me and other teachers here at the Scandinavian Department. We\u2019ve just finished evaluating the tests. The result is clear: The rugbr\u00f8d<\/strong> eaters have achieved a much better Danish accent than the non-rugbr\u00f8d<\/strong> eaters!<\/p>\n

Wow, that\u2019s incredible! How do you explain that?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The findings are still too premature to draw any firm conclusions. But one possible explanation could be what the anatomists call the \u201dequilibrium of muscular effort\u201d. This is far from my field of expertise (Danish language history and dialectology), but if I understand the natural scientists right, the human organism is constantly striving to minimize the use of muscles. As you know, rugbr\u00f8d<\/strong> is very rich in whole grain. Chewing rugbr\u00f8d<\/strong> every morning and every lunch \u2013 as most Danes do throughout their lives \u2013 takes its toll. To compensate for the strained jaw muscles, the preliminary theory goes, Danes are relaxing their vocal organs while speaking, to an extent not found among other populations. Foreigners who are used to eating less defiant bread (including the sweet rye bread of Sweden and Germany) can afford to pronounce their languages in a more poignantly articulated, or shall we say, dramatic way.<\/p>\n

Now I understand what people mean when they talk about their rugbr\u00f8dsmotor<\/em> (rye bread motor)\u2026 So, you recomend our readers to eat rugbr\u00f8d<\/em> in order to achieve the correct, relaxed accent \u2013 right?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Well, as I said, the research is still in its initial phases. But if I were to learn Danish afresh, I\u2019d certainly consume as much rugbr\u00f8d<\/strong> as possible. And make sure to drink a fair amount of beer, that has helped people overcome difficult accents for centuries!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

For many foreigners trying to learn Danish, the natives\u2019 pronunciation is a tough nut to crack. How on earth do they do it? I met Henrik J\u00f8rgensen, lecturer and researcher at the Scandinavian Department at Aarhus University. Mr. J\u00f8rgensen, you and your colleagues are rumoured to be on the scent of a brand new theory…<\/p>\n

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