Scandinavian Cultural Differences and Similarities

[Lutiferre]

Originally Posted by Gnist

So it is not only the Danes then. I find it depressing. I don't give a damn if I have to spice up my Swedish with Danish to make a Dane understand, it's not like he is superior to me anyway. What I find to be really annoying is when they prefer to be citizens of the world and speak English to me, just because it would be too much of an effort, or too much of a nuisance, to acknowledge that there is ethnocultural relatedness, and that we actually could learn some interesting things about that relatedness by sticking to what we are.

Its pretty simple to me. My English is better than my Swedish. In a conversation, the point is communication, so one chooses the language one is mutually best in.

Originally Posted by Gnist

Are the roles reversed in these two cases, if we compare Danes to the Portugese? I think Danes act like underdogs when they pretend to not understand, it comes off as petty little brother complex to everyone I know.

"Don't come here and think that we will accept Swedish in our country, because you screwed us over in history. We used to dominate you, and the rest... we'd like to forget about it, OK?"

Well how mature of you, is what the Swede thinks, just so that you know it. And you act the same when you are in Sweden, you citizens of the world.

I dont really know if it has such historical/inter-ethnic aspects.
The end part of this video (around 2:30) probably says a good deal about how many Danes feel about Swedes (so you will have to attempt to understand Danish to see it)

+ YouTube Video

I have not really had deep considerations to it, men jeg snakker ikke specielt godt svenska, hvis du 'fatter'. These days I am not in Sweden much, so I dont encounter Swedes much. So it is not a big problem.

I can inform you, that in everyday life I see Danes talking Danish to Swedes and vice versa a lot. The other day I was in the bus, and a woman asked the driver something in Swedish, and he replied and spoke with her in Danish. Another example, is that on the TV some weeks ago (I have forgotten in what relation now), a Swede was interviewed in Danish.

A lot of the time on the TV, there will be Danish subtitles when a Swede talks though

[Weltschmerz]

Originally Posted by Lutiferre

I dont really know if it has such historical/inter-ethnic aspects.
The end part of this video (around 2:30) probably says a good deal about how many Danes feel about Swedes (so you will have to attempt to understand Danish to see it)

What do you mean are you suggesting I didn't understand every single word? I met his type in real life many, many times. I'm not saying you are all the same, but generally, you seem tense, humourless and uptight.

[Lutiferre]

Originally Posted by Gnist

What do you mean are you suggesting I didn't understand every single word? I met his type in real life many, many times. I'm not saying you are all the same, but generally, you seem tense, humourless and uptight.

He is a stand up comedian, so likely not quite humorless. The fact that I picked that exact video is because that I love Anders Matthesen, so neither must be I

[Marcus Marulus]

So Danes and Swedes do not understand each other perfectly after all? What about Norwegians-Swedes and Norwegians-Danes?

[Weltschmerz]

Originally Posted by Marulus

So Danes and Swedes do not understand each other perfectly after all? What about Norwegians-Swedes and Norwegians-Danes?

I did understand all of what that comedian said... I wasn't joking so much as I thought it was funny that Lutiferre suggested I would have problems understanding.

[Lutiferre]

Originally Posted by Marulus

So Danes and Swedes do not understand each other perfectly after all? What about Norwegians-Swedes and Norwegians-Danes?

In regards to Norwegian, there is both bokmål (Book Language) and nynorsk (New Norwegian). I am not sure which I understand the best, neither in writing nor spoken (maybe bokmål isnt spoken at all, I dont know an awful lot about it). But I know that I understand Norwegian better in general, in writing, and it seems that when spoken, it becomes scrambled into some incomprehensible chaotic blabbering of a language (so that would suggest bokmål is more similar to Danish than spoken Norwegian, in case bokmål isnt actually spoken). Swedish is a bit easier for me to understand when spoken, but ironically harder to understand when written.

I have a Norwegian friend, who tells me that for him it is the same - Swedish is easier to understand when spoken, but Danish easier when read/in written form.

I dont know if most people agree with this view of things. But I would guess they do. So we only lack the Swedish perspective.

[Weltschmerz]

Originally Posted by Marulus

So Danes and Swedes do not understand each other perfectly after all? What about Norwegians-Swedes and Norwegians-Danes?

Originally Posted by Lutiferre

In regards to Norwegian, there is both bokmål (Book Language) and nynorsk (New Norwegian). I am not sure which I understand the best, neither in writing nor spoken (maybe bokmål isnt spoken at all, I dont know an awful lot about it). But I know that I understand Norwegian better in general, in writing, and it seems that when spoken, it becomes scrambled into some incomprehensible chaotic blabbering of a language (so that would suggest bokmål is more similar to Danish than spoken Norwegian, in case bokmål isnt actually spoken). Swedish is a bit easier for me to understand when spoken, but ironically harder to understand when written.

I have a Norwegian friend, who tells me that for him it is the same - Swedish is easier to understand when spoken, but Danish easier when read/in written form.

The highlighted part is not surprising. Bokmål is danicised Norwegian. Nynorsk is actually not so "new", since it is based on dialects that are spoken in Norway. The term nynorsk is what is new about it, since it was created to preserve the folkish Norwegian language. I wish we had a Norwegian to comment on this too, but at least what I just said, I took it directly from Norwegians I know.

[Marcus Marulus]

Once Faustas told me that in Denmark Norwegian and Swedosh movies are broadcasted without any subtitles, because all Danes are able to understand them.

[Lutiferre]

Originally Posted by Marulus

Once Faustas told me that in Denmark Norwegian and Swedosh movies are broadcasted without any subtitles, because all Danes are able to understand them.

That is far from always the case.

[Sergius]

Originally Posted by Marulus

Once Faustas told me that in Denmark Norwegian and Swedosh movies are broadcasted without any subtitles, because all Danes are able to understand them.

I am pretty sure I didn't say exactly that. Sorry if I confused you. Movies are texted, but it isn't uncommon having Swedes or Norwegians interviewed on Danish TV without subtitles.
To wrap this up, spoken Norwegian is easily understood among most Danes, and Swedes a little less so. In written form, both are relatively easily understood. Nynorsk is a different story. I am able to read it.

[Weltschmerz]

Originally Posted by Faustas

I am pretty sure I didn't say exactly that. Sorry if I confused you. Movies are texted, but it isn't uncommon having Swedes or Norwegians interviewed on Danish TV without subtitles.
To wrap this up, spoken Norwegian (Bokmål) is easily understood among most Danes, and Swedes a little less so. In written form, both are relatively easily understood. Nynorsk is a different story. I am able to read it.

Why do you say that bokmål is spoken Norwegian? It makes no sense to me.

[Sergius]

That was a mistake. I was editing what I had written and it got messed up. Sorry.

[Marcus Marulus]

Originally Posted by Faustas

I am pretty sure I didn't say exactly that. Sorry if I confused you. Movies are texted, but it isn't uncommon having Swedes or Norwegians interviewed on Danish TV without subtitles.

I thought you said that. Maybe I misunderstood something.

[Weltschmerz]

Originally Posted by Marulus

I thought you said that. Maybe I misunderstood something.

I don't think you misunderstood anything. Just because there are often subtitles doesn't mean that they are always there, nor that they are really needed.