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Language problems

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Category: Ramblings | Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2007 9:06 pm

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I'm Norwegian in case somebody have missed it. My mother tongue is also Norwegian, and that's the language I think in. Joining a forum where English is the lingua franca is a brave deed in my eyes. Well, I'm normally not one to display bravery and occasionally I wonder if I'm in over my head. Then I comfort myself by reading a bit in a book called «Broken English spoken perfectly» by Stewart Clark. He's nailed some very typical errors foreigners make when trying to communicate in the English language.

English and Norwegian have a lot of words in common, but they don't always mean the same in the two languages. And then there are the grammatical errors. Infinite possibilities of getting things really wrong.

I'll give you an example: «In winter we have pigs in our rubber decks.» Translated: «In winter we use car tires with metal studs in them.» English pig is Norwegian stud or spike. English deck is Norwegian tire.

A classic is the phrase «Of course you can sleep with me.» No, that's not what it means! It means «Of course you can sleep over at my place.»

The late Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme had to cancel a press conference. The reason given was «he's got a very bad influence.» Meaning the flu... And when it comes to fairs or religious cermons, we call them a messe. So if somebody foreign thanks you for the mess, that's probably not what they really mean.

Nobody beats SAS when it comes to toilet signs: «Do not put foreign bodies into the lavatory.» And the Norwegian coastal steamer has its own specialty: «Do not throw strange things in the toilet». In Swedish or Norwegian it makes sense, but I think something got lost in the translation.

Also, we tend to have a rather strange pronounciation, so you won't be sure whether we mean moose, mouse or mousse. And are those black things in the mulled wine raisins or Russians? Did he say beer or bear? Is a pot plant exactly that or just a misspelled potted plant?

The worst of it all is that we think we're right. So please don't mock too much if I make the occasional error, will you?


This blog entry has been viewed 151 times

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toni wrote on Mon Oct 29, 2007 9:20 pm:

I won't mock, but I will snicker quietly. :)

Joining a forum where a language other than your own is required is very brave. And you are conversing very well.

Even between two English speaking countries (England and the U.S.) there are sometimes embarrassing differences and some differences that neither side understands. Heck, even most people in the U.S. don't understand some of the things Texans say.

Years ago I was in charge of the office supplies where I worked. The company had been bought by British Cable and Wireless so we had some brits working in our office during the transition. One of the younger men came to me asking for a rubber, I handed him the eraser he wanted and spoiled the joke he thought he was going to play on the uneducated Texan.

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Droopy wrote on Mon Oct 29, 2007 9:33 pm:

Toni, you may even laugh out loud, I probably won't hear you. The occasional correction won't do much harm either. Love your rubber story!

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eileen wrote on Mon Oct 29, 2007 11:16 pm:

Just as well I don't write in broad Scots or we'd all be in a real fix!!! LOL
I think your command of the English language is superb Droopy - better than some who have it as a first language.

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Frank wrote on Mon Oct 29, 2007 11:31 pm:

Since my Swedish is still formative almost everyone speaks English with me (and very well I might add). Occasionally someone will say something that I know they have translated directly from Swedish to English and that will make me smile. I almost always hold the laugh in though as I know that my English to Swedish translations are multitudes worse. I've always liked "take a beer" instead of "have a beer". I always say take now even when I'm in Ireland :)

For the record if I hadn't known where you came from I would have sworn that English was your first language.

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glendann wrote on Tue Oct 30, 2007 2:14 am:

I had forgot you wasn't from the USA Droopy you speak English so well.Us Texans do have our own language.Toni my mom called rubber bands rubbers.Ya'll is one of our best words Droopy fixin and yonder is 2 more.
Ya'll come back now ya hear.
I'm fixin to go over yonder.:)

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Droopy wrote on Tue Oct 30, 2007 8:05 am:

Thank you for boosting my language confidence. :)

I enjoy listening to people with pronounced dialects, it makes the language more fascinating. I've heard Scots and Irish, but never a Texan except from on TV. Wonder when I'll get a chance to remedy that.

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Palm Tree wrote on Thu Nov 01, 2007 10:34 am:

Yikes Droopy
In South Africa we have thirteen official languages. Just imagine the consternation at times.
You do not have a problem with English and I thoroughly enjoy your blogs and posts. (I dont mind funny language at times since I encounter it practically everyday.

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Droopy wrote on Thu Nov 01, 2007 10:50 am:

Hopefully you won't have to learn all 13? The Swiss have four, I thought that was a lot!

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Palm Tree wrote on Thu Nov 01, 2007 7:36 pm:

Luckily we have a choice of two languages that is comulsory at school and we do not have to learn all 13.
of teh 13 languages - 2 are closely related (The Indo-Germanic languages) and
another "set" of two are close related Nguni languages with subtle differences between them. the rest are all independent languages.

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Droopy wrote on Thu Nov 01, 2007 8:30 pm:

Good to hear Palm Tree. You had me worried for a bit. And I've learned something new today.

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