Bergensk
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bergensk, or the Bergen dialect, is a dialect of Norwegian used in Bergen, Norway. It is easy for Norwegians to recognise, as it, perhaps particularly phonetically, is more distinguishable from other dialects in Hordaland than for example the Stavanger dialect is from the dialects of Rogaland and the Trondheim dialect from is from Trøndelag dialects.
No standardized written form of Bergensk exists.
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[edit] The development of Modern Norwegian
Proto-Germanic, the common ancestor of all Germanic languages, in the 1st millennium BC evolved into Proto-Norse and later Old Norse. This subsequently developed into Western Norse and finally Old Norwegian about 1300. From 1350 to 1525, Norwegian went through a Middle Norwegian transition toward Modern Norwegian, partly fuelled by the devastating impact the Black Death had on Norway.
[edit] Early influence from Low German and Danish
Bergen's strong foreign influence, such as Hanseatic League merchants in the period from about 1350 to 1750, has had a profound impact on the Bergen dialect. The Hanseatic merchants spoke variations of Low German. Also, being the major Norwegian city during the Dano-Norwegian union from 1536 to 1814, Bergensk absorbed more of the Danish than other Norwegian dialects. Being the origins of the written language and thus having higher status, Danish continued to have an impact on bergensk into the 20th Century, and a Dano-Norwegian koiné sociolect, resembling Riksmål, is still spoken, although it in recent decades has become much more similar to Bokmål. Some originally Low German words found their way to the Bergen dialect through Danish. The long history of multi-lingual coexistence in Bergen has made the dialect more susceptible to simplifications, in order to ease communication. The influence of Danish and Low German are apparent in the modern Bergen dialect's phonetics.
Many, but not all, influences from these languages since spread from Bergen to parts of or the whole of Norway.
[edit] Genders
It is the only dialect in Norway with only two grammatical genders, all others have three (excepting sociolects in other Norwegian urban areas). The female gender disappeared in the 16th Century. This was partly fuelled by an influence from Danish, which became the written language and already had abolished the female gender, and as a simplification to ease communication between Norwegians and Germans.
[edit] Definite form of given names
In Norwegian, common nouns may be indefinite or definite, while proper nouns are always indefinite. In the Bergen dialect, however, proper nouns of persons' given names are often definite, giving a less formal tone. For example, Kåre Willoch may be called Kåren (or Kåre'n, no written convention exists) or Willochen in bergensk, whereas this wound be considered incorrect elsewhere in Norway, excepting only some rural dialects in the proximity of Bergen. The reason for this emerging in Bergen is thought to be that titles, which are common nouns, were more or less used the same way as names, as Bergen, formerly Norway's megapolis, inhabited many people with the same given names, but a wide range of titles. For example, "Aleksander Skomaker" (in English "Aleksander Shoemaker"). As titles gradually were perceived as names, and could be in the definite form (as they were common nouns), after some time surnames and eventually given names were also used in the definite form.
[edit] Uvular trills
The "r"s are Uvular trills, as in French. It probably spread to Bergen (and Kristiansand) some time in the 18th Century, overtaking the Rolled r in the time span of about 2-3 generations. Until recent decades' developments in neighboring rural dialects, this was an easy way of distinguishing them from the Bergen dialect.
[edit] Recent developments
In the 19th and 20th centurys, the literacy rate improved, which gave a strong influence from Riksmål, and later Bokmål. (Nynorsk, Norway's other written language, was considered rural and thus unprestigeous, and has not had a strong influence on the dialect). Subsequently, large parts of the German-inspired vocabulary unique for Bergen disappeared. Plural endings are used less frequently, for example huser (houses) has become hus, which is correct Bokmål. Also, pronounciations have shifted slightly towards standard East Norwegian (Standard Østnorsk), probably as a result of the shift of power towards Oslo. For example, "pære" (pear), which was formerly pronounced as péræ, is now pronounced pæræ.
[edit] Modern Bergensk compared to Bokmål and Nynorsk
Like almost all Norwegian dialects, Bergensk cannot be said to be either Bokmål or Nynorsk. While the vocabulary shows many traits of both Bokmål and Nynorsk, it has many characteristics that are not covered by any of these written languages. Also, Bokmål is often associated with Eastern Norwegian Standard Østnorsk pronounciation - although no official affilation exists. This gives the claim that oral Bergensk "is" partly Bokmål ambiguities.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
Nesse, A., Slik ble vi bergensere - Hanseatene og bergensdialekten, Sigma Forlag, 2003. ISBN 82-7916-028-0.
