Velkommen!
My recent discovery of Norwegian records online has made the ability to read Norwegian more appealing than ever. So, I have enrolled in a beginner's class offered through the local Scandinavian Language Institute. I don't expect to become conversant in the language, but do want to learn enough grammar and vocabulary to be able to make sense of Norwegian websites and historical documents. The latter may be a bit optimistic since written documents of the 19th century have been difficult enough to read in English, let alone a foreign language. But, familiarity with even some of the language will be a help. In addition to the language instruction, the class gives me an opportunity to learn more about the culture of Norway -- both past and present. All of this helps in piecing together the puzzle of my ancestors' lives 1 1/2 centuries ago.
Before I started the class, I was unaware there are two written Norwegian languages: Nynorsk and Bokmaal++. Bokmaal is a modifed version of Danish (the standard written language in the 16th - 19th centuries) while Nynorsk is based on Norwegian dialects. All Norwegian students are taught both languages, but usage of Nynorsk is only about 15 % while Bokmaal is written by about 85% of Norwegians. Spoken Norwegian is another matter. Regional differences in oral dialects abound in Norway. These variations on the language make good dictionaries a necessity in sorting out the differences. I was fortunate to stumble onto an 1892 Dano-Norwegian/English dictionary in a used bookstore a few years ago. Although it was published about a half century after some of my ancestors left Norway, it is useful in translating their language. For my class, I am acquiring a modern dictionary that includes both Bokmaal and Nynorsk. Between the two dictionaries, I hope eventually to be able to translate much of the material I encounter in my research.
As I develop my language skills and sift through the research materials I've begun to collect, my blogging is slowing down. It's likely to be a while before I have researched the current documents on my ancestors' lives in Norway and new discoveries will be few and far between. To provide something of possible interest in the meantime, I've added a link to photos of family tombstones. These photos include Norwegian and non-Norwegian ancestors and are located on my SmugMug site. (Though copyright protected, my images may be legally downloaded for personal use. In addition, printed copies may be ordered via SmugMug. The cost is for the lab that does the printing and for shipping. I do not receive payment for these prints.)
Tak for i dag!
++ I don't yet have the Norwegian character set available for my blog, so am making common substitutions for the 'extra' Norwegian characters. (aa == a with a circle over it; ae == combined ae character, etc.)
