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Culture

The Danish Language: A Story of History and Identity

Danish is the language of Denmark, spoken by around 6 million people. Even though not many people speak it compared to bigger languages, Danish has a long history. It has a unique sound and is shaped by centuries of changes that reflect the Danish history.

Where did Danish come from?

Between 200 and 800 AD there was a shared Nordic language that originated from the Germanic family of languages and was spoken by people across what we now call Denmark, Sweden, and Norway.

The first glimpses of this Nordic language were carved in runes on knives, jewellery, and stones, discovered during archaeological excavations of ancient settlements and villages. 

During the Viking Age, this shared language began to split into different versions. In Denmark, the version that became Danish was part of an eastern dialect, which also included Swedish and parts of southern Norway. Over time, the languages in these areas became more distinct, eventually turning into the separate languages we know today.

Even though Danish, Swedish, and Norwegian are now different languages, they still share a lot of similarities because of their shared past. This makes it easier for people in the Nordic countries to understand each other—sometimes with a bit of effort.

Did you know

The Danish language has three extra letters apart from the 26 in the basic Latin alphabet - they are called Æ, Ø and Å

When the royal family started speaking Danish 

For a long time, the royal family and wealthy nobles in Denmark spoke German as their main language. But things started to change during the Reformation (around 1520–1539).

The Reformation in Denmark encouraged several institutions, starting with the church, to begin writing in Danish. It was also after the Reformation that the first attempts were made to establish a standard for Danish spelling.

This development likely spread to the rest of society, accompanied by a sense of stronger unity within the kingdom’s borders. 

By the 1700s, people in Denmark began to feel prouder of their country and language, and in 1775, a school reform stated that students should learn to speak and write ‘proper Danish’. This sense of patriotism made Danish more important to everyone, and people started calling it their modersmål, or “mother tongue.” 

 
The first complete Danish Bible, known as 'Christian III Bible' after the King of Denmark-Norway, printed in 1550
Odense Cathedral

Different dialects of Danish

Even though Denmark is a small country, the way people speak Danish can vary a lot depending on where they live. 

There are many prominent Danish dialects but one of the most prominent and distinct is the one spoken in the south of Jutland.

The dialect is called “Sønderjysk” and varies from other Danish dialects not only in pronunciation but also in vocabulary. This is partly because the southernmost part of Jutland has in turns been part of both Germany and Denmark over the course of history. 

Danish has a tricky sound

One thing that makes Danish special is the glottal stop or in Danish “stød”. It is a sound that has a sort of creaky noise. It is a bit like how rolling an “r” in Spanish can be tricky for non-native speakers—it takes practice to get it right!

The glottal stop is one reason why Danish can be hard for foreigners to learn. Even some Danes find it confusing because it is not used the same way in every Danish dialect.

 

Why Danes speak many languages

Since Danish is a small language that not many people outside of Denmark speak, Danes have always been good at learning other languages. After World War II, English had a big influence on the Danish language - not since the Middle Ages had so many new words from another language been adopted into Danish.

Most Danes speak English very well, and many also learn German, French, or Spanish in school. 

English/Danish phrase book

Phrases:
Hello! / Hej!
My name is / Mit navn er
I don't speak Danish / Jeg taler ikke dansk
How much does it cost? / Hvad koster det?
How are you? / Hvordan går det?
Do you speak English? / Taler du engelsk?

I come from... / Jeg kommer fra...
America / Amerika / USA
Brasil / Brasilien 
China / Kina 
Egypt / Egypten
Germany / Tyskland
Indonesia / Indonesien
Israel / Israel
Italy / Italien
Kenya / Kenya
Lebanon / Libanon
Netherlands / Holland

Numbers 1 to 10:
One / Én
Two / To
Three / Tre
Four / Fire
Five / Fem
Six / Seks
Seven / Syv
Eight / Otte
Nine / Ni
Ten / Ti

Weekdays:
Monday / Mandag
Tuesday / Tirsdag
Wednesday / Onsdag
Thursday / Torsdag
Friday / Fredag
Saturday / Lørdag
Sunday / Søndag

 
The Danish Language Council, part of the Ministry of Culture, sets the rules for spelling and grammar in Danish and keeps track of how the language is constantly changing.

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