Archive for April, 2010
English language in Norway Posted by kari on Apr 30, 2010
I have written on this topic before and I imagine I will again; the use of engelsk (English) in Norway continues to rise. Engelsk is used increasingly in høyere utdannelse (higher education), forskning (research), arbeidsplass (work place) and daglig språk (daily language). Requirements for English proficiency are on the rise at schools and in the job…
Norway and Russia agree in Barents Sea Posted by kari on Apr 28, 2010
For mange tiår (decades) Norway and Russia have argued over ownership of 175,000 sq. km. in Barentshavet (the Barents Sea). You might be wondering what the big deal is about Barentshavet. It’s just water, right? No, it’s money, and lots of it. Tens of billions of barrells of olje (oil) and 1-3 of the world’s…
Norwegian verb ‘to do’ Posted by kari on Apr 22, 2010
Once in a while, I need to throw a post in hear that really focuses on a specific part of the language. It’s fun to focus on verbs because they allow you to say so much, especially the verb å gjøre (to do)! Vår er her (spring is here) and all I can think about…
Northern Lights Posted by kari on Apr 20, 2010
I’ve been told that seeing nordlys, also known as Aurora Borealis, is one of the most spectacular sights a person can see. I have seen nordlys in Minnesota a few times, both during the fall and winter and don’t get me wrong, they were certainly cool. However, based on the reactions I’ve heard and read from…
Icelandic volcano’s effects on Norway Posted by kari on Apr 18, 2010
It has been difficult to keep up with the ever-changing updates on the vulkanutbrudd – volcanic eruption – that happened in Iceland last week. Uttbruddet of Eyjafjallajökull is being referred to by many as ”The world’s worst travel disaster in history. Thousands of flights have been delayed already and it is expected that flight travel will…
Viking ancestors in England Posted by kari on Apr 14, 2010
You betcha there are many British citizens who are etterkommere (descendants) of Norwegian vikinger (Vikings), although it is unknown how many and where from. Britiske forskere (British researchers) are conducting a study to chart Northern England’s Viking legacy. Professor Peter Harding at the University of Nottingham will be leading the study and working very…
Norwegian Dialects Posted by kari on Apr 13, 2010
The question: ”Snakker du norsk?” (”Do you speak Norwegian?”) should almost always be followed by another question: ”Hvilken dialekt?” (”Which dialect?”). There are 2 official written Norwegian languages, bokmål (literally book language) and nynorsk (literally new Norwegian). Although Norwegian dialects are commonly organized in 5 main groups: nordnorsk (northern Norwegian), trøndersk (Trøndelag Norwegian), innlandsmål (Midland Norwegian)…