Some facts about Denmark, our money and our language
Hello again,
in a comment, 4papasha asks if the 500 kroner banknote is old? Yes, it is. It was still common when I was a child with this look. However, while Denmark is indeed part of the European Union, we are not yet sharing the Euro monetary system, like the U.K. we have preferred to keep our traditional currency (perhaps as sort of a statement of being still a nation).
Denmark has about 5 million inhabitants, the majoriyt were born and raised here, with the Danish language as our mother tongue. But as this is such a "small" language, we need to know other languages as well. English is our first foreign language taught from about age ten, and then later German or perhaps, in some cases, French as a choice. We also encourage that school children listen and read our" neighbour languages", Swedish and Norwegian as they share cultural as well as linguistic roots.
And yes, Papasha, I used to collect old silver coins (not banknotes), but at a time in my life I had to sell the best ones that were from my grandfather. I still regret I had to do this, but not that I was able to travel to France for this sum of money, and find work for the summer period!
Did any of you travel outside of Belarus?
Yours,
Mystery guest
PS I'll tell you some more personal details about my work and hobbbies next time!
posted by Upstream Advanced @ 3:59 PM
10 Comments:
Hi Mistory Guest! I've been many times outside Belarus: Bulgaria, RF, Ukraine. You might be a teenager & student?
Hello Mystery Guest!
How are you?
You might be a student, are you?
What are your major fields of studying? Do you like to travel?
Hello Mystery Guest!
Denmark is a very nice coutry, I think. I have never been there, but I hope to visit it in the near future. I don't have any friends in Denmark. But a very good friend of mine here, in Belarus, who visited Denmark, have told me a lot abaout it! So it is my dream to visit your coutry!!!
I would like to know, what city you live in?
Hi there!
I've been to Ukraine and the United States but I would like to see more countries. I have friends from Norway and they are running Scandinavian-stiled restaurant in the US. And from them I heard about special Scandinavian painting. Do you know how it's called?
Uff da!
Hello, Mystery Guest. Answering your question I would like to say that I have been to Ukraine(my grandparents live there), Slovakia, Czech Republic and Bulgaria. But it were mostly tourist trips, so I didn't have to speak foreign languages very much. I also want to ask you a question.
What languages do you often work with. Is your profession connected with foreigners. And nationals of what countries you deal with.
Best regards.
Helen, your Norwegian friends living in USA use a typical phrase, Uff da! that means something like Oh my goodness! or perhaps Oh boy!. I'd heard it before but had to look it up. Norwegian settlers came to Minnesota and Dakota long long ago, and the new generations have not mcuh left of their ancestor's language - but any American today may say, Uff da!
Myst
Dear Mysteriuos Guest,
I find the linguistic situation in you country being a little bit similar with that one we've got in Belarus. The Belarusian language has a lot in common with both Polish and Russian. As for the Ukrainian language, I've heard for a lot of times the phrases like 'Ukrainian is the Southern dialect of Belarusian', and naturally vice versa. But the Russians and Poles rarely understand both Ukrainian and Belarusian, though the Belarusians and Ukraininans usually do understand Russian and Polish.
I guess, German and Dutch should be as understandable for the Danish people as Polish and Russian for the Belarusians. As for all the Scandinavian languages (Swedish, Norwegian), it should be like Ukrainian for Belarusians. Everybody speaks its own language and does understand his/her partner. Am I right?
Andrei Kotliarchuk wrote a very good article about Belarusian-Swedish relations. You may be surprised to know that "one thousand years of common history unite the Swedes and the Belarusians". Scandinavian influence is evident in different spheres of life, including language and Belarusian folklore.
Andrei writes:
"The Belorusian language accumulated about 50 Scandinavian words, 90% of which belong to trade and state vocabulary.
Handal' (Bel.) - handel (Sw.)
Birka (it was name of wood stick for count) - Björka
Bagor- batgarr (old Sw.), båtshake (Sw.)
Buda - bod
Bur - borr
Bezman - besman
Marmur - marmor
Pieniazi - pengar
Sygnet - sigill
Gosc' - gäst
Vanravac' - vandra
Kruk - krok
Drot - tråd
Skarb - skatt
Kofta - kofta
Rada - råd
Drabant - drabant
Hrydz - hird
T(s)ivun - tun
Marshalk - marskalk and so on
This vocabulary, -writes Andrej Kotliarchuk,- emphasises a specific character of the old Belarusian-Swedish contacts. "
Read the whole thing at :
http://www.vitryssland.nu/engordsp.html
Goddag,
I've heard that the most diffucult phrase of Danish is as follows: Rшdgrшd med flшde (a friend of mine says it's some kind of Danish dessert). Could you try to spell it in English?:)
Vi ses.
Oh, dear friends in Minsk,
you have so many interesting discussion questions, and I've been quite busy this week. I would love to meet you in a virtual classroom and continue our conversation some day soon!
Licvin has a good point - neighbors often undersnand each other even though their languagea are somewhat differing, and we find loan words from here and there, those mentioned in Swedish are also almost the same in Danish.
And yes, if we meet in the virtual classroom, I can tteach you some Danish phrases, like the one you mention: Roedgroed med Floede (a light jam of mixed red berries with cream). A very popluar summer dessert in the Danish kitchen!
Your virtual Granny
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