Comments on: Finland Swedish - Finlandssvenska

By: Ölänning

Ölänning — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 20:46:33 +0000

Jonas G - I feel your pain, man. I remember in high school when we had to do an assignment about minorities in Sweden. Interestingly Finland-Swedes was one of the choices! One of the questions for the assignment was “What do you think the minority have to do to adjust to life in Sweden?” (like an indigenous minority has to adjust to life in their own homeland) and the students who chose Finland Swedes said something like “Well, they have to learn Swedish”. It seemed I was the only one who reacted. Not even the teacher reacted, since the students actually got a pass with distinction (VG) on the assignment! Unbelievable! I would like to apologize on the behalf of my ignorant countrymen. I love your dialect and I think it’s very cool!

By: Jonas G

Jonas G — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 18:13:56 +0000

This was an interesting blog post. I have to say it is always a little sad for us Swedish-speaking Finns to realise just how ignorant so many people in Sweden are of our very existence. I can count several occasions in Sweden where I have been told by Swedes things along the lines of “Oh, your Swedish is so good”, which is rather patronising when it is one’s mother tongue. (I have since learnt to reply, “Thanks, so is yours”). The Swedish-speaking “world” is not a big one, so you would think that the Swedes would learn about the one other place on the planet where you can live your life in Swedish. One can’t imagine a British person being surprised to learn that they speak English also in many parts of Canada, for example.

As for the issue of melody, I was always taught that this was a later development and that Swedish in Finland is more archaic in that respect compared to Swedish in Sweden (or perhaps archaic is the wrong word, as it suggests that Sweden-Swedish is the natural norm - and who is to say that it is!) We learnt at school that the Old Norse tongues lacked the melody that today exists in modern Sweden-Swedish and also in most Norwegian dialects. If you listen to Icelandic, which is the most faithful to Old Norse, it does seem to back that theory up. The melody of today’s sing song rikssvenska is something that developed later, that theory suggests. I personally do not know which to believe.

By: Passerby

Passerby — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 15:15:47 +0000

Finns are the biggest racists in Europe. Only finnish swedes are civilised.

By: timan

timan — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 21:26:07 +0000

Hello, Mr Waddington,
iam glad that we have u ,be sure no one can mislead us,not TODAY!i think this is a wonderful Blog (bland många) to know the secret of any kind of any language!Dear Kenia, Nata, i appreciate ur patrio_blogtic.Plz,correct me!

By: natasha

natasha — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 03:05:50 +0000

Andrew, please voice any complaints to blogs@transparent.com

By: Kenia

Kenia — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 15:22:11 +0000

Hej Andrew!
This blog is just about a bit of everything including culture and swedes life style not just about swedish language. Besides I think Anna is pretty careful and chooses very well her words in all her posts.
Most of readers are satisfied with what they’re getting, the purpose is clear to all of us, comments reflect it.
Simply enjoy the reading and learn, that’s what this is all about. =)

By: Andrew Waddington

Andrew Waddington — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 04:43:30 +0000

Dear Anna

If you sell some thing and it is different from what you expect then sometimes we can complain to someone about mis representation Swedish Blog is swedes or swedish language
Please state what the purpose of this blog is otherwise I will complain to you

By: Andrew Waddington

Andrew Waddington — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 01:26:18 +0000

I agree that Finland is for the finns however Swedish is important to the Finns because Russia will invade Finland again Yes Yes Russia like the US want gobble up everything in the world and bring us down to their level Finland has a unique most beautiful Language and culture moderate and progressive but they should stop drinking Alqohol though

By: Andrew Waddington

Andrew Waddington — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 12:34:50 +0000

Hej alla

Jag nya här och läst om Finlands Svenska Det mycket interessant,jag tänka på at utvandra til Finland men Jag bare kan liten finsk språk så dereföre kan jag bruk svenska i Finland då

Skriva til mig om du vil men bara Svensk och en liten finsk ibland.
Kumpi keili se on kaunis Suomea Ja Ruotsi översetta= käännä Vilket språk är Vackert Svensk och finsk Svensk är lätt berusad finsk är huller om buller

Tusen takk

By: Darius

Darius — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 21:01:28 +0000

I really thank your attention. I just wanted to remark that if Finnish speakers have not been very important through the ages is just because they could not.
Once more, thank you very much. And I do really enjoy your blog.