OK, we have a lot of special things here in Sweden and one of them are our letters ÅÄÖ. How did we begin with these strange letters?
One official theory is that it was somehow hastily writing that caused it. From the beginning the latin script words were spelled with ae for the ä and aa for the Ã¥ and oe for the ö. Then they started to write hastily a’ instead of ae and they were later evolved to the Ã¥, ä, ö.
Personally I think it all started with some one that sneezed over some scripts or maybe coughed with some nice food stuff in the mouth that landed like dots over some words and they covered it up with this story. Maybe it would have been very interesting languages all over the world if we didn’t have had typewriters or computers?
Example of some words with å, ä, ö:
Ã… = River, creek
Ã…ksjuka = Motion sickness
(that’s what I always get on a boat)
Åtråvärd = Desirable
Åtfölja = Accompany
Åtlöje = Ridicule
Äcklig = Disgusting
Älskling = Darling
(Don’t confuse them with each other!)
Öl = Beer (Probably from the english Ale)
En stor stark = A big strong beer
Örfil = A smack on the ear (That’s what you get if you drink to much beer and say bad things to a swedish girl)
Öde = Deserted
Ö = Island
(Thats were you wished you were after you’ve got smacked)
Skräcködla = Translated exactly to english it says something like Horror lizard, but as an expression it’s used in Sweden to describe a really horrifying ugly woman.
If I use some bad words below, its only because I’m nice enough to give you a lesson in the swedish language, not that I use these words. I’m only doing it for you. I’m not to be hold responsible for anything I write from this point.
Our language is influenced a lot from the english and german, sometimes the exact words are used, sometimes it’s a bit changed, but still does sound or spells similar. Some examples: Man = Man, Dum = Dumb, Blond = Blond, Party = Party, Drink = Drink, Skit = Shit, Bomb = Bomb. You see, we’re a lot like you.
Then we have the english word Whore that is pronounced like the swedish word HÃ¥r, which actually means Hair. Another words that can cause some misunderstandings if they’re mixed up are the swedish word Prick which means Dot if you should translate it to english… The english word Prick translated to swedish would be Snopp.
If you hear some one talking about Bra, they’re not saying what you think they are. The swedish word Bra actually means Good. It always good with a bra anyway… Swedish people like to say things with fewer words, so we’ve shortened Bra to BH instead, BystHÃ¥llare = BreastHolder.
I don’t know if I recall this story the right way, but I’ll try. An old friend of mine once were abroad and wanted to buy a new bag. She was in the store examinating the bags. They weren’t any to her satisfaction, so she wanted some help from the store staff. So she said: “This is a nice bag, but I want a lot of fack in it”. The man looked and smiled a strange smile to her and didn’t seem to understand so she repeated it. Several times. And he just smiled that disgusting smile. Then it strucked her what he must have thought that she said. F*ck. The swedish word Fack means compartment, but it sounds really bad doesn’t it…?
Did you know that The Police sometimes have “fart kontroll” here in Sweden? We have words exactly like english words, but they sometimes mean something completey different. The swedish word Fart translated to english means Speed and not Fart…
Oh, you want to know what the swedish words for fart is? No?
Well, we’re going to tell you anyway: Fis, prutt, mök, gas, rökare (which even can be smoker) and skit.
You never know when it can come in handy that you know these swedish words!
Argentina
Austria
Brazil
Czech Republic
Denmark
England
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Monaco
The Netherlands
Norway
Paraguay
Portugal
Scotland
Slovakia
Spain
Sweden
United States
I like the line “We’re a lot like you” *lol* Like who???
Sounds almost like we are alians… using a lot of bad language, fart a lot and having sex!! I agree… strange people.. I can’t be Swedish!! I’m not even blond……
)
Like the aliens…? *lol*
You’re Swedish alright, don’t try to deny it, you have Swede written in your forehead. Especially when it comes to “the other stuff mentioned”! You’re a Swede Pro
it may come in handy lifecruiser but i am so lost already i would never be able to learn the language. is it o.k. if i use sign language. not that i know that either but it might be easier for me.
I know it sounds confusing MrHaney. Some how I don’t think that language matters, there is always ways to understand each other anyway
With a little help from face expressions, body language and gestures….
oppppsssss…. All of a sudden I just woke up! Body language… I totally agree Mrs. Life… now you’re talking…;)
I have had fun comparing different word meanings in different languages.
I can speek 4 and muddle my way through 3 more and can swear in 75 I think. LOL
Sometimes a smack is worth it
You’re so right Walker, sometimes it’s worth it – you’ll never know before you’ve tried it, right?
I’m sure glad you know English and I don’t have to try to communicate in Swedish.
I just told my wife she got a ticket for farting and I got an orfil. (how do you make those little pricks above the “o”?). Glad I didn’t comment on her hair.
Dear Dave, I think you have to have the extended character on your keyboard to write the pricks…oh, I mean the dots
over the o.
“For facks sake!” that gave me a giggle, good blog.
By the way, you have some sand in your toes!
Funny thing words, the other day it was very cold and my nine year old boy asked my wife “can we have a nice barking fire”, he meant roaring fire of course.
goodnight!
M
Ahh, I’m glad you told me that Fartin, I was just wondering what it was that made me limp so badly, I know it couldn’t be the drinks I had
Who care about what kind of fire, as long as you HAVE a fire…? I’m so jealous about that. I’m cold. Or was it old…hm… *thinking*
Interesting post! Yes, your language has so many weird letters in it; like an “a” can be written so many ways (with the funny symb0ls on top)! I don’t know how to pronounce any of them though.
The “fack” incident reminds me of one of my colleagues. She’s Japanese. One day, we received a fax at the office and she couldn’t read it. She told me, “This is bad ‘fux’…” I almost burst out laughing!!! She pronounced “fax” and “fux”. And well, you know what it sounds like!
Sorry, it should be “pronounced ‘fax’ AS ‘fux’”, and not “and”.
Haha, Sharlet, it must have been hard not to laugh!!!!!
Fascinating! I love to read about the differences – large and small – in different parts of the world. I have heard some Swedish and believe that it is more like English than most people think.
Yes, Rurality, it really is. Some say that we got the words from the english and some say it’s the opposite in some cases. I guess these two countrys is so close to each other that it could have influenced each other.
My jerked-over Amish husband will love my Swedish prutt!
Thanks
Lifecruiser: Are you sure…? *lol*
What a great post and very interesting also for a Norwegian. I’ve update mine about Norwegian confusions here: No nakedness on Nordic cruise ships
Lifecruiser: Thanks Renny for the shout out – I LOVED your post too