Mistake’s Norse origin
Words about words M. Michael Brady Asker, Norway The word mistake is a verb and a noun, both of which descend from the Old Norse verb mistaka, meaning “to take by mistake.” It may...
Category: Norsk Språk
Norsk 101
Getting around Norway (Reisemåter i Norge) Language practice with Christie Ericson Norway is one of the most beautiful countries (Norge er blant de vakreste landene) in the world (i verden) and of course (og...
Words of the year
The top 10 Norwegian words added in 2018 M. Michael Brady Asker, Norway Each year, Språkrådet (The Language Council of Norway) and Professor Gisle Andersen of the Department of Professional and Intercultural Communications of...
Old Norse tidings, glad or otherwise
Words about words M. Michael Brady Asker, Norway The word tidings, a plural noun sometimes used with a singular verb, describes the conveyance of news or information. It’s derived from the Old Norse tíðendi,...
Norsk 101: Saint Lucia Day (Luciadagen)
Language practice with Christie Ericson My favorite part of the holidays is Saint Lucia Day, which is celebrated on Dec. 13 (Feiringen av Luciadagen den 13. desember er førjulstradisjonen jeg liker aller best). I...
The light and dark origins of Lucia
Words about words M. Michael Brady Asker, Norway The name Lucia is most known as that of an Italian martyr, Santa Lucia (often but not always “St. Lucy” in English), who died at the...
Shopping in Norway (Shopping i Norge)
Norsk 101: Language practice with Christie Ericson It’s hard to travel to Norway (Det er vanskelig å reise til Norge) without bringing back (uten å ta med seg tilbake) souvenirs or gifts (suvenirer eller...
The coining of quisling
M. Michael Brady Asker, Norway Quisling is a term that originated in Norway. In the Scandinavian languages and in English, it denotes a person who collaborates with an enemy, and in general it’s a...
Nordic knitting (Nordisk strikking)
Norsk 101: Language practice with Christie Ericson One of the most recognizable symbols of Norway (Et av de mest gjenkjente norske symboler) is the traditional Norwegian wool sweater (er den tradisjonelle ullkofta eller ullgenseren)....
Loanword fjord is one of few in English with rare consonant combo
Words about words Fjord is a loanword in English, from the Old Norse fjorðr, which means “lake-like body of water used for ferrying and passage.” That word has an English connection. Like the English...
