Funny Words

It would have been a pretty boring, ordinary day if we didn’t have a good laugh over some Norwegian words and expressions I learned in class today. There’s several words and phrases that just make me laugh when I say them anyway, like “snart ferdig,” which means “soon finished” but when I say it fast, it just cracks me up every time as it’s pronounced, “snart far-dee.” It’s used often, whether referring to dinner soon being ready or when I would say, “I’ll be done in a minute.” Say it three times, and it’s evident why it sounds so funny. Of course, “snart ferdig” doesn’t crack me up as much as when I hear someone say “full fart,” which, honest to goodness means “high speed.” There are often huge advertisements in newspapers or on the sides of busses for internet service, and the words that grab my attention every time are “full fart” (pronounced just like it’s spelled.) And certain neighborhoods have “farts dempre” which are “speed bumps.” And when traveling along certain stretches of highway there’s a sign that says “din fart” which means “your speed” and then they have those digital read-outs so it’s clear just how fast a person is traveling. The photo today is of an umbrella at a “fast food” kiosk, the words mean “food in a hurry.” There is lighthouse in downtown Aalesund with huge letters painted on the side that say “sakte fart” (slow speed) so no boats coming in to the harbor make a wake. I can’t imagine the origins of these words, but it’s pretty funny for someone from America to live here and see them everywhere.

Today’s words that made me laugh were referring to an expression they use for when things might not be ideal, but you just have to “tough it out” as we say. Norwegians say you must, “svelge noen kameler” which literally means, “swallow some camel.” I can’t imagine why someone living in Norway would even come up with the imagery of swallowing a camel since camels aren’t anywhere near this country, but I’m beyond trying to figure out most of the reasons why they say what they do. Like the word “født,” (which actually sounds like “foot” to me when it’s being said) means “born.” In the early Norwegian days did all the babies come out feet first, and that’s how they made up that word? “Fred” really cracks me up because that means “peace,” in Norwegian. Perhaps the first Nobel peace prize winner’s name was Fred? (They give those awards out in Oslo every year.) And “hell” in Norwegian actually means “luck” in English. Try to figure out the logic in that one.

One word they use here is “fornøyd” which is pronounced like “for-noid” which also sounds to me like the English word “annoyed.” But the word “fornøyd” actually means “satisfied,” which is quite the opposite of annoyed, so it helps me to remember it’s meaning, but it also makes me laugh to say it. The word “selfølgelig” (pronounced “sell-full-gully”) means “of course” and I laugh every time I hear Kaleb saying it, which he always does if someone asks him to do something. It sounds so foreign and not ANYTHING like “of course,” but I guess that’s why this is a “foreign” language. But then they have all these English words (which aren’t foreign) mixed in with Norwegian, with completely different meanings, like the word, “fag.” The Norwegian word “fag” means a “subject” that one takes in school, or a particular trade, so I often see work trucks with the word FAG in huge letters going down the road, whether it’s a plumbing truck or specialized carpenter van. Too funny. And the word “do” actually means “toilet,” so when in Norway, be careful with the usage of that English word. “Go på do,” (pronounced “go poh do”) is how people here say they need to pee. But I DO like the fact that “love” in Norwegian means “promise” in English (and they have four different words that mean “love.”)

Kory never seems to get the humor in my observations, but Kaleb and I have shared quite a few laughs over this language thing, especially today. But Kory and I did have a few laughs tonight as we went to a Junior High school talent show. Cousin Odd’s daughter Hege had a dance performance in the show but she was toward the end so we had to sit through an incredible line-up of NO talent first. But it was worth the wait as Hege’s dance routine was incredible. She choreographed it herself and that girl can dance like no one I’ve seen dance. The rest of the acts are what would be expected of any junior high age group of kids, but there was one band that played “Hotel California” and it was actually very good. (But it seemed rather surreal to be in Norway hearing some 13 year old belt out an old Eagles tune in English.)

Kaleb finally had an uneventful day at school, Kory worked on his latest drawing, and I came home from school and started planning out our trip to Rome next month. If I go “full fart” I’ll be “snart ferdig.”