Modern Gutnish
Modern Gutnish is the native language of the Gotlandic people on the island of Gotland in present-day Sweden. It was both a spoken and written language until late medieval times. Today it exists as a spoken language, but is to some degree mixed with Swedish, Danish and German. It is an open issue whether modern Gutnish is to be considered an independent language or a Scandinavian dialect. It derives, however, from Old Gutnish, which is indisputably a separate branch of the Old Norse language family.
Knowledge of Gutnish is relatively weak both among Gotlanders (Gutes) and other Swedes. It is spoken mainly in the southern parts of the island and in some parts of Fårö. Gutnish exists in two variants, Mainland Gutnish and Faroymal on Fårö. The Faroymal is considered the more archaic of the two forms.
Some features of Gutnish include the preservation of Old Norse diphthongs like ai in for instance stain (Swedish sten, English stone) and oy in for example doy (Swedish dö, English die). There is also a triphthong that exists in no other Norse languages: iau as in skiaute/skiauta (Swedish skjuta, English shoot).
Comparison with other Germanic languages
| English |
Dutch |
Norwegian (Bokmål) |
Norwegian (Nynorsk) |
Danish |
German |
Gutnish |
Icelandic |
Swedish |
Faroese |
| eye |
oog |
øye |
auge/auga |
øje |
Auge |
auge/auga |
auga |
öga |
eyga |
| hear |
horen |
høre |
høyre/høyra |
høre |
hören |
hoyre/hoyra |
heyra |
höra |
hoyra |
| sleep |
slapen |
sove |
sove/sova |
sove |
schlafen |
sive/siva |
sofa |
sova |
sova |
| evil |
euvel (kwaad) |
ond |
vond |
ond |
Übel |
aumbr |
vondur |
ond |
óndur |
| ship |
schip |
skip |
skip |
skib |
Schiff |
skip |
skip |
skepp |
skip |
| sing |
zingen |
synge |
syngje/syngja |
synge |
singen |
singe/singa |
syngja |
sjunga |
syngja |
| high |
hoog |
høy |
høg |
høj |
hoch |
haug(r) |
hár |
hög |
høgur/háur |
| right |
rechts |
høyre |
høgre |
højre |
rechts |
hygar |
hægri |
höger |
høgra |
| boat |
boot |
båt |
båt |
båd |
Boot |
bat |
bátur |
båt |
bátur |
| over |
over |
over |
over/yver |
over |
über |
yvar |
yfir |
över |
yvir |
| shoot |
schieten |
skyte |
skyte/skyta / skjote/skjota |
skyde |
schießen |
skiaute/skiauta |
skjóta |
skjuta |
skjóta |
Example
Gutnish
- KERLAIKINS SKAVLGARD
- Ja gikk til kerlaikins skavlgard
- U sag va ja aldri hadde sét
- A kýrko var der byggd
- Der ja fýrr laikede pa de grýnu
- U lukar til hissu kýrku var lukede
- U ”Dú skalt inte”, ritet yvar duri
- So ja vende mi til kerlaikins skavlgard
- Sum so mange sýme blómar berde,
- U ja sag hann fylldar me gravar
- U gravstainar der blómar skulde vare
- U prestar i svarte klédin, ganes síne rundar
- U bindnes me napltynne, míne gledar u kéar
-
- av William Blake (1757–1827)
|
English
- THE GARDEN OF LOVE
- I went to the Garden of Love,
- And saw what I never had seen:
- A Chapel was built in the midst,
- Where I used to play on the green.
- And the gates of this Chapel were shut,
- And Thou shalt not. writ over the door;
- So I turn'd to the Garden of Love,
- That so many sweet flowers bore.
- And I saw it was filled with graves,
- And tomb-stones where flowers should be:
- And Priests in black gowns, were walking their rounds,
- And binding with briars, my joys & desires.
-
- by William Blake (1757–1827)
|
External links