About Danish

Introduction

Danish is the official language of Denmark as well as the Faroe Islands and is spoken by approximately six million people, of which 5.6 million people are native speakers. Danish is also the minority language in Greenland, Iceland, and northern Germany. It belongs to the Indo-European language family but is more specifically referred to as a Northern Germanic language. Due to their mutual intelligibility, Danish, together with Swedish and Norwegian, are considered parts of a language group called Mainland Scandinavian, meaning that speakers of at least one of the three languages are able to understand all three more or less. It is also the official language of the European Union Nordic Council and is spoken in Danish communities in the US, Canada, and Argentina.

It is practical for learning other languages in nearby countries! As Danish includes elements of Swedish, Norwegian, German, and English to some extent, knowing Danish is an excellent basis for learning the languages of Denmark’s neighboring countries. Even languages of countries further away may become easier to acquire, as if you can master Danish pronunciation you can master anything.

Denmark and its welfare society remain very attractive to many people worldwide, so if you dream of living in Denmark one day, learning Danish will definitely give you an advantage, as Danes love it when people have taken the time to learn the Danish language spoken by so few worldwide compared to English. Learning Danish gives you more opportunities to get a deeper understanding of this beautiful and interesting country and its people.

History of Danish

The long history of Danish can be traced all the way back to the 8th century where Proto-Norse, the common Germanic language of Scandinavia at that time, had evolved into Old Norse which was then further divided into two similar dialects: Old East Norse and Old West Norse, which was only separated by diphthong changes. In eastern Denmark, the former was called Runic Danish and written with an alphabet which had only sixteen letters or runes, the Younger Futhark alphabet. Some runes, such as the rune for the vowel u and the rune for i, were used for a range of phonemes as the number of runes was evidently quite limited. In Sweden, Old East Norse was called Runic Swedish, but the two dialects were basically the same until the 12th century. However, due to the widespread travels of the Vikings for trade, warfare, exploration, etc. during the Viking Era, Old East Norse was also once spoken in the northeast counties of England, as they were colonized by Danish Vikings. Many words still used in the English language today, in fact, derive from Old East Norse. For example, “egg” comes from “æg,” and “knife” (kniv). In the Late Middle Ages, the runes had completely been replaced by the Latin letters brought along with the introduction of Christianity. At this point, Danish was also highly influenced by Low German due to immigrating merchants and craftsmen from northern Germany, resulting in Germans joining the chancery making Low German the actual mother tongue of many Danish kings during the Middle Ages. Today, however, the basic vocabulary of the Danish language is still Nordic, but since the 1950s, English loanwords have made their way into the language used not only in a business context, but also on a daily basis, and are continuing to expand the Danish vocabulary.

Economy

During the last ten years, Denmark’s GDP annual growth rate averaged 0.85%, which unfortunately seems to have been the tendency in countries in the European Union. The Scandinavian economy, in general, is still looking slightly better than others, but unstable times have also had their influence.

Education

In Denmark, literacy is approximately 99% for both men and women. If you are below the age of 15 or 16, education is compulsory, and almost all educational institutes are funded by the government and are therefore free. Private schools, of which Denmark has a tradition, are not free but are still attended by 13% of all children at the basic school level. Around 82% of young people take further education in addition to the compulsory years of education. As for universities, a tuition-less system applies to all students. In addition, students over the age of 18 attending secondary and tertiary school, all citizens of Denmark, as well as many others who meet certain criteria, are offered SU (Statens Uddannelsesstøtte or “The State’s Educational Support”). This is a monthly financial aid with a base ranging from 2860 to 5753 Danish crowns (DKK) which is the equivalent to USD 517 to USD 1045. A student can also get extra funds depending on their family situation, physical problems, and if they are a single parent. Socially, this decreases the need to work many hours at a part-time job, giving more time to focus on school.

Transportation

Even though transport in Denmark is considered developed and modern, it still seems to lag behind the fast, advanced train systems in countries such as Japan. Copenhagen is the only city in Denmark with its own metro system as well as the S-trains, a type of subterranean land train, above ground commuter trains, which connect passengers to the outlying boroughs of the city. However, perhaps a motorway network covering 1,111 kilometres and a railway network of 2,667 kilometres, connecting all the main parts of the country as well as Zealand to Sweden, is enough for a country of 42,894.8 square kilometres in size after all. Domestic and international air routes as well as ferry connections are also available. However, the most popular form of transport is cycling, hence the diverse infrastructure, especially in the more populated areas.

Cultural mentality

The most prominent feature of Danish culture is a mentality, not unlike one found in Sweden or Norway, that de-emphasizes individual effort and places all emphasis on the collective. At the same time, it discourages those who stand out as achievers. This mentality is sometimes said to be summarized in the concept of Janteloven, or the Law of Jante (invented by the author Aksel Sandemose), which is the governing code of the small, fictional town of Jante. It consisted of ten rules concerning how the individual should NOT think of him or herself in relation to the rest. It can be summarized by the command “You are not to think you are anyone special or that you are better than us.” Despite this who-do-you-think-you-are attitude, do not be afraid to try your luck in Denmark, providing you follow the Law of Jante, of course! The Law of Jante is naturally somewhat satirical, and Danish culture does not always conform to its model; however, egotism in Denmark is not to be desired. If you show your modesty and humility, this will get you a long way, and the key to success in Denmark is not to brag too much, to be modest and humble.

Life Satisfaction

As you have probably heard many times, Denmark has a reputation for being the happiest country in the world according to FN’s 2012 Happiness Report and Columbia University’s 2013 Earth Institute’s Happiness Report 2013. This may seem odd considering that Denmark also has the world’s highest tax rate and the world’s largest consumption of happy pills, mainly due to winter depression from not getting enough sunlight. Denmark has very interchangeable weather and a people that by nature like to complain. Therefore, being ranked the happiest country in the world comes as a surprise to many Danes. However, some believe that the combination of Denmark’s history, the long history of battles with our neighbors and being betrayed numerous times by allies, and then the unlikely winning of the UEFA European Football Championship in 1992 has resulted in a nation with low expectations of things in general, but also with a small ray of hope at the same time, making it quite easy for Danes to experience something as positive. Many Danes live by the saying det kan ikke blive værre end det allerede er, or “things cannot get any worse than they already are.” Or Mange bække små gør en stor å, or “many small streams make a big river.” This maxim reminds Danes not to overlook the small joys in life since they will accumulate to become greater happiness.