Losing my native language

[Direwolf750]

Mine should've been Mandarin. I never learnt it and so I'll always think and act like a Englishman.

there is no should have or shouldn't have. There is no reason why any language is particularly better than any other, or any reason why there should be a should. Just because you are of a nationality doesn't make it that you should have learned that language. I am multiple nationalities with italian predominant, but that doesn't mean that I should know Italian and not English, or any of the other ones for that matter. They wouldn't be very useful to me.

 

[sramota]

Has nothing "Scandinavian" happened since the Dark Ages? By this, i mean have there been any historical themes or events since the end of the Dark Ages which have had an effect on modern Scandinavian culture?

For instance, a lot of English culture is characterised from the Victorian era, from where we get the ever popular "Posh-British" stereotype from, among other things which have an effect on modern English identity. Likewise, the Italians have the Renaissance to identify with, the French have Napoleon and their Revolution...Does Scandinavia not have anything after the Dark Ages to identify with?

Quick summary: up until around the beginning the 1st millenium scandinavia had Vikings and Norse religion. At that point the christening happened. After that up until 1397, there were mostly internal struggles. At that point the Scandinavian union was formed. Which held for 200 years, after that civil wars reigned up until the protestant reformation. 1536 Denmark and Norway formed a personal union that lasted up until 1814, Norway was given to Sweden. The same summer Sweden invaded, a whole mess went around, Norway gained a bit of independence in 1905 the union was dissolved...

No.. Scandinavia has been pretty busy killing each other when Europe culturally.
Heck the current situation is that Norway and Sweden are joking about eachothers stupidity (Same jokes, just switched sides)
Southern Sweden is basicly Eastern Denmark and find more in common with the Danes than the rest of Sweden while Denmark just shuns Sweden and doesn't really care for Norway.
Finland? They were Swedish most of the time and are now bitter drunks who think all Swedish men are homosexual because they smile.

There *REALLY* hasn't been much room for culture in scandinavia since the Vikings..

 

[sramota]

it was called logjam, or at least the latest attempt was called (as far as I know)

The Aux languages come and go, the most recent which actually is spoken by people is Interlingua.
And you're thinking of Lojban most likely. It's a logic-based language that is still being developed and as such appreciated among nerds.

 

[Nickolai77]

Has nothing "Scandinavian" happened since the Dark Ages? By this, i mean have there been any historical themes or events since the end of the Dark Ages which have had an effect on modern Scandinavian culture?

For instance, a lot of English culture is characterised from the Victorian era, from where we get the ever popular "Posh-British" stereotype from, among other things which have an effect on modern English identity. Likewise, the Italians have the Renaissance to identify with, the French have Napoleon and their Revolution...Does Scandinavia not have anything after the Dark Ages to identify with?

Quick summary: up until around the beginning the 1st millenium scandinavia had Vikings and Norse religion. At that point the christening happened. After that up until 1397, there were mostly internal struggles. At that point the Scandinavian union was formed. Which held for 200 years, after that civil wars reigned up until the protestant reformation. 1536 Denmark and Norway formed a personal union that lasted up until 1814, Norway was given to Sweden. The same summer Sweden invaded, a whole mess went around, Norway gained a bit of independence in 1905 the union was dissolved...

No.. Scandinavia has been pretty busy killing each other when Europe culturally.
Heck the current situation is that Norway and Sweden are joking about eachothers stupidity (Same jokes, just switched sides)
Southern Sweden is basicly Eastern Denmark and find more in common with the Danes than the rest of Sweden while Denmark just shuns Sweden and doesn't really care for Norway.
Finland? They were Swedish most of the time and are now bitter drunks who think all Swedish men are homosexual because they smile.

There *REALLY* hasn't been much room for culture in scandinavia since the Vikings..

So, while there has been plenty of political activity there has been less cultural activity in Scandinavia? Hence the weak national identity? I think i understand.

 

[Hollock]

For a while my friend was forgetting how to speak French (she wrote in it all the time, but would stumble on her words whenever she did speak in it). But now her friend from France has come to live in America, and we have a new student in our class from the Ivory Coast who speaks French and she can now speak talk and write fine in English and French. It's sad because I liked watching this Phenomenom. I wish there was one language, but I don't have the time to learn Esperanto.

 

[Hman121]

Yeah, same here. Living in the U.S. is seriously messing with my mastery of my native tongue, Spanish.

 

[Sigmund Av Volsung]

My native language is Lithuanian, but after 6 years here, I'm starintg to forget and mispronounce words.
DAMN YOU OXFORD!!!

 

[sramota]

So, while there has been plenty of political activity there has been less cultural activity in Scandinavia? Hence the weak national identity? I think i understand.

That and the addition of being stripped so late of our Norse heritage while at the same time having what was left become abused by racist movements. (It sure didn't help that scandinavia is genetically blonde and blue eyed)

Sweden is my best example here. Think of something that's really Swedish. Most Swedes will come up with "Midsummer". And that's it. Seriously. Some will go as far as say "meatballs".


Just check wiki for a summary:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Sweden
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Norway
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Denmark
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Finland

*You'll first notice that they all have one thing in common: Almost nothing dates before 1800.
Finland has the 'strongest' culture and Denmark the most 'advanced' culture, yet it's not much mention.

*You'll also notice that elitism and distinguishing one self is frowned upon in all countries.
This due to the fact that scandinavia has seen so much internal conflict that being 'better' does not mean 'more skilled' or 'proud of his work'. It is directly translated to 'looking down on others'.

*The third thing to notice is the cuisine, it's all based around "effective" food. Made to last, made to get as much out of as little as possible. The sacrifice being taste and pleasure.
This is however less true the further south you go. Denmark being the "gluttons" of scandinavia.. (They have thicker slices of meat on bread and eat more than 2-3 meals a day sometimes and also actually enjoy their breakfasts.)

*The next thing you will see is the fact that all areas of 'culture' is based around "influences of...", which also goes to weaken the cultural identity, as it's frowned upon to distinguish oneself, so is it frowned upon to distinguish oneselfs' culture, and is often met by "But that comes from ... originally" (Swedish meatballs in Sweden isn't Swedish if I say it like that)

*And finally, notice the lack of content in the areas of Music, Art, Architecture and Literature before the 1800's. And also the lack of Creation in culture rather than Adaption.


So there's the long story - Equality, lack of pride, functional rather than estethical crafts and a total lack of pre 19th century development has caused scandinavia as a whole to be underdeveloped in these areas compared to the rest of Europe. (But Technology and Governmental practices - That's something Scandinavia has been noticable in. Being the worlds least corrupted nations, enjoying the biggest freedoms of speech in the world, etc.)

 

[Stoic raptor]

For me, its Arabic. I used to speak it so much until I got to kindergarten. I didn't understand anyone. There was a point where I was cutting up crayons with scissors and the teacher came up to me. "Are you cutting up the crayons"
Right in her face while still cutting the crayons I said the only English word I knew. "no"
So thats when my Arabic stopped.
I can speak it and get by in conversations, but I can get stuck and I am not fluent at all.
Apparently I even speak in an "Arabic-English accent"
But I am learning more now.

 

[Underground Man]

OT: i vote for l33t sp3ak!

I actually do talk in 1337 irl, and no one ever knows what I'm saying. Doesn't matter much since I'm a shut-in, though.

I lost German and, even though I'm Hispanic, I've never mastered Spanish. I just don't have anyone to practice with.

One thing that really irritates me about learning new languages is how everyone laughs at you if you say, travel abroad, have a go at it and aren't immediately awesome. Way to encourage Americans to learn other languages, guys. I just get so angry that I say, "FORGET IT, YOU SPEAK ENGLISH THEN."

It's a horrid attitude, but it really pisses me off. I never make fun of other people's English -- I'm just thankful they bothered to TRY.

Speaking of manufactured languages, I'd like to learn Lobjan.

 

[SimuLord]

I found myself calling a tonic a soda, pronouncing the R in the word lobstah, and forgetting which road led through New Hampshire from Haverhill, Mass. to the Seacoast.

I've got to move out of the fucking Wasteland before I pronounce ALL of my Rs and turn into a Yankees fan.

 

[Mimssy]

snip

*sob* i feel for you man.

my native language is Greek. however, it is REALLY easy to forget. since i only visit greece in the summer now that i am older (i was born there) i forgot the language almost completely!

and now i can only flirt with girls i know speak english

*sigh*

Ancient Greek is pretty lousy for flirting, I've found.

I can feel myself losing my secondary languages (ancient Greek and Spanish) because I don't use them much in conversation. I used to use the Spanish quite a bit when I lived in south Florida, but not much anymore. It's quite sad to me.

ancient greek? i spoke modern greek!

well, greek is good for flirting with chicks whose native language is greek.

I figured you spoke modern. Ancient Greek lacks a certain practicality. It's great for hitting on nerds, though (and translating for school...)

 

[Dags90]

I think everything in english, then I translate it to dutch.

That sounds tedious and time consuming. Although I guess it's sort of a safeguard against saying things without thinking. I know some people who could use that.

My only language is English, so I'm glad it's English that's taking the over the world. The thought of thinking in another language confuses me greatly.

 

[Blunderman]

I know what you mean. English is not my native language but I'm far more proficient in it than in any of the other languages I speak. It's the international language and I see no reason for anyone to not learn it.

 

[dogenzakaminion]

Hiya escapists.

I've been using English a lot lately. When I read something online, or post something on these forums, it is mostly in English. I neither write nor read a lot in my mother tongue.

Spoiler: Spoilered for neat-ness

Having to use English on the internet, when watching TV, and when playing videogames has really improved my English. Now that's all fine and good, but recently I've found that when I try to lead a conversation more complex than just casual everyday talk in my native language, I have trouble phrasing myself without resorting to English words and expressions; and when talking I sometimes begin a sentence, only to find I can't finish it, because I was using the English sentence structure.

Do any of you have personal experience with this kind of phenomena?

This little problem of mine leads me to what I would like to discuss with you (in addition to my situation that is): Do you think the world should ultimately have one, and only one, language shared by all its inhabitants, or do you prefer the diversity?

Personally, I think the world would flow a lot better with only one language; but I am far too much of a romantic to let all the different languages out there die.

Edit: My native language is Norwegian, if anyone cares.

Edit: I sometimes catch myself thinking in English. This, I find very strange.

Fellow Norwegian, it's been the same for me since 2007. I spent half a year in Germany, and instead of reading German, I spent most of my time on the internet reading and writing English. After returning to Norway again, I'd do errors like saying "riste hender" (literally translated from "shaking hands" to Norwegian).

Yet another fellow Norwegian here, and I can say that I do the same errors (riste hender), though I have been speaking English for more of my life than Norwegian (English is my 1st language) due to going to American schools my whole life, but I see your point.

Also, one language for the whole world wouldn't work. There are many words and phrases one can say in certain languages that one cannot say in others. (Ta for eksempel "skadefryd"...hadde det blitt "damage happiness" på engelsk?)

 

[Dags90]

(Ta for eksempel "skadefryd"...hadde det blitt "damage happiness" på engelsk?)

We use "schadenfreude" in English, hooray loanwords. I'm sure there are some crazy Norwegian idioms though...crazy Norwegians. One of the reasons I love English is all the loanwords, spelling conventions are sort unconventional because if it though. :/

 

[Blemontea]

You should try to maintain your native language, whatever way you can you should keep speaking Norwegian to keep it alive and keep your individuality.

As for the world language i think we all should a world language, LATIN, because nobody fluently speaks it except for the people who have studied it for years so it would be equal hardship on everyone, it would be interesting to see what slang would be made from such an ancient language.