I also wondered if any of the northern languages were closer to English than German, even though German is a fellow member of the west Germanic group. Personally I think German is closer but I have heard arguments in the other direction.
Which North Germanic language is the closest to English?
German isn't really close at all, grammatically and vocabularily its very different. Norwegian is much closer to English than German is in terms of verb conjugation, grammar in general and the way sentences are structured.
If you consider Scots to be a separate language, and not just a dialect of English, I suppose it would be the closest?
(It's geographcally northern, at least -- does that qualify it as a "northern language"?)
(It's geographcally northern, at least -- does that qualify it as a "northern language"?)
On the whole, German is closer to the North Germanic languages, esp. in terms of vocabulary. Grammatically, English and the Scandinavian languages share a similar development of simplification, while German is conservative (excl. Icelandic).
<<On the whole, German is closer to the North Germanic languages, esp. in terms of vocabulary. Grammatically, English and the Scandinavian languages share a similar development of simplification, while German is conservative (excl. Icelandic). >>
This was not the original fraign. We are not betalking German and Scandinavian. Besides, you're in wrength--the similarities in vocab between German and Scandinavian are due to borrowing from German.
Probably Danish or Norwegian would be closest to English. In some respects Faroese might be too. It was the Dano-Norwegian form of Old Norse that profoundly influenced English is the late Middle Ages.
This was not the original fraign. We are not betalking German and Scandinavian. Besides, you're in wrength--the similarities in vocab between German and Scandinavian are due to borrowing from German.
Probably Danish or Norwegian would be closest to English. In some respects Faroese might be too. It was the Dano-Norwegian form of Old Norse that profoundly influenced English is the late Middle Ages.
Well, Frisian is the closest, but it's considered a West Germanic language (in the same category as German and Dutch). As far as North Germanic, I'd go with Danish or Norwegian as well, seeing as those were the main groups of Vikings that reached England, and not Swedish. I guess by extension Faroese and Icelandic are somewhat related, but still very alien to the average English speaker.
FRISIAN FRISIAN FRISIAN!
But as the above poster said,
I can skim through Norwegian and kind of understand it.
But as the above poster said,
I can skim through Norwegian and kind of understand it.
Frisian is genetically more related but the closest is Danish, hands down.
Unlike other Northern Germanic languages Danish is strictly stress timed, ignores tones, and displays some embryonic tendency to diphtonguize stressed vowels.
Unlike other Northern Germanic languages Danish is strictly stress timed, ignores tones, and displays some embryonic tendency to diphtonguize stressed vowels.
<<FRISIAN FRISIAN FRISIAN! >>
Again, FRISIAN is not a North Germanic Language, and therefore isn't in the running.
You're options are: Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Faroese, and Icelandic.
Again, FRISIAN is not a North Germanic Language, and therefore isn't in the running.
You're options are: Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Faroese, and Icelandic.
Whenever Danish speaks English, their accent sounds like Northern Dutch.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrWKHER1sus
Not the best example around in showing the good side of Denmark, I know. The accent sounds very Dutch though.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrWKHER1sus
Not the best example around in showing the good side of Denmark, I know. The accent sounds very Dutch though.
<<Whenever Danish speaks English, their accent sounds like Northern Dutch. >>
It's a result of Frisian and Jutish influence on Danish.
It's a result of Frisian and Jutish influence on Danish.
Ok, then Jutish. Jutish is a separate language. It's not Danish. After Jutish, it would have to be Danish.