Halloween
Words about words M. Michael Brady Asker, Norway The word Halloween first appeared in the late 16th to early 17th century as a contraction of All-Hallow-Even, or “All Saints Eve,” the last night of...
Category: Norsk Språk
Norsk 101: Immigration
Language Practice wtih Christie Ericson Like other Norwegian-Americans (Som andre norskamerikanere), I have always been interested (har jeg alltid vært interessert) in my family history (i slektshistorien min). My great-grandparents (Oldeforeldrene mine), Jens and...
Band, restraining, & proclaiming
Words about words M. Michael Brady Asker, Norway The word band comes from the Old Norse word band, sometimes spelled bande, that had two principal meanings: that which an object or person is bound, and an organized...
Native language loss
Even a mother tongue, unused, can slip away M. Michael Brady Asker, Norway Native language has long been considered an indelible part of a person’s identity. Hence one of the oldest beliefs about identity...
Norsk 101: Out of the Classroom and into Norway
(Ut av klasserommet og inn i Norge) with ISS Language practice with Christie Ericson Although I loved (Selv om jeg elsket) my Norwegian course (norskkurset mitt) at the International Summer School (på Den internasjonale...
Changing vulgarity: hengerumpe
Meanings of words vary with time, gender M. Michael Brady Asker, Norway On June 7, A-Magasinet, the weekly magazine supplement to Aftenposten, had a cover feature on women’s football or “soccer” as it’s called...
Auk, words of a feather
Words about words M. Michael Brady Asker, Norway Auk is the name of a family of web-footed diving birds of the far north, characterized by being mostly black, white, and gray in color, and...
Reading på norsk at the International Summer School
Norsk 101: Language practice with Christie Ericson Hallo fra Norge! Two years ago (For to år siden) I attended (deltok jeg i) the International Summer School (den internasjonale sommerskolen) [ISS] at the University of...
Am I Norse? You “are”
Words about words M. Michael Brady Asker, Norway The word “are” descends from the Old Norse word eir, which in the mix of languages that evolved around the North Sea, led to the Middle...
Old Norse anger
Words about words M. Michael Brady The word anger, a noun and a verb in modern English, retains the sense and usage of two Old Norse words from which it descends, the noun, angr,...
