Legal Writing

The Scandinavian Connection

By Sharon

A chance remark by a Swedish friend about English loan words in Swedish set me on the trail of borrowings of Swedish origin that have entered the English language. There are a few common ones:

• angstrom - a unit of length named after a Swedish scientist
• flounder - a type of flat fish
• gauntlet is believed to originate from gatlopp. The expression run the gauntlet refers to a military punishment where someone would run between two rows of soldiers who would strike at hime
• gravlax - smoked salmon
• lingonberry - from lingon
• orienteering - the sport that combines navigation with racing originates from Sweden
• smorgasbord - a buffet with certain types of food; has a more general meaning in English
• tungsten - chemical element; the name means heavy stone.

There are also several words of Norwegian origin in English, including:

• aquavit - a very alcoholic drink; the name derives from the Latin for ‘water of life’
• fjord - a geographical formation
• floe - an ice formation
• lemming - a type of rodent
• quisling - a traitor, named after Vidkun Quisling
• ski - the equipment used for skiing
• slalom - a downhill skiing technique featuring twists and turns

The Scandinavian Connection

Full post as published by Daily Writing Tips on August 21, 2008 (boomark / email).