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I'm an American currently in Denmark studying Danish, and while working on vocabulary I noticed that the Danish word for a cuckoo (bird) is "gøg." My mnemonic for remembering it is that I'm cuckoo for GOG.

It doesn't have the same meaning as the English adjective "cuckoo." It just refers to the bird.
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Xuande: I'm an American currently in Denmark studying Danish, and while working on vocabulary I noticed that the Danish word for a cuckoo (bird) is "gøg." My mnemonic for remembering it is that I'm cuckoo for GOG.

It doesn't have the same meaning as the English adjective "cuckoo." It just refers to the bird.
Well, I think I've been called up to this thread as my last name comes from the cuckoo bird ;)
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Xuande: I'm an American currently in Denmark studying Danish
I have to ask... Why? Out of all the languages you could have chosen, why Danish?
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Wishbone: I have to ask... Why? Out of all the languages you could have chosen, why Danish?
For the brownies?
Danish language
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Xuande: I'm an American currently in Denmark studying Danish
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Wishbone: I have to ask... Why? Out of all the languages you could have chosen, why Danish?
To find work in Denmark. My wife and I came here for our honeymoon, and really liked it.
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Xuande: To find work in Denmark. My wife and I came here for our honeymoon, and really liked it.
Ah, okay. I misunderstood you then. It sounded like you came here specifically for the purpose of studying the Danish language. I couldn't understand why anybody would want to do that ;-)
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Xuande: To find work in Denmark. My wife and I came here for our honeymoon, and really liked it.
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Wishbone: Ah, okay. I misunderstood you then. It sounded like you came here specifically for the purpose of studying the Danish language. I couldn't understand why anybody would want to do that ;-)
Big fans of H.C. Anderson, maybe?

There was one other American at the school who came to Denmark specifically to study Danish. Her grandparents were Danish, but they raised her parents speaking only English, and she was interested in the cultural heritage she missed out on.
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Xuande: There was one other American at the school who came to Denmark specifically to study Danish. Her grandparents were Danish, but they raised her parents speaking only English, and she was interested in the cultural heritage she missed out on.
Well, as you've probably found out by now, Danish is an awful language ;-)
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Xuande: There was one other American at the school who came to Denmark specifically to study Danish. Her grandparents were Danish, but they raised her parents speaking only English, and she was interested in the cultural heritage she missed out on.
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Wishbone: Well, as you've probably found out by now, Danish is an awful language ;-)
Well, it's better than swedish :)
Post edited April 19, 2011 by KneeTheCap
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Xuande: There was one other American at the school who came to Denmark specifically to study Danish. Her grandparents were Danish, but they raised her parents speaking only English, and she was interested in the cultural heritage she missed out on.
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Wishbone: Well, as you've probably found out by now, Danish is an awful language ;-)
I don't think it's so bad. I already speak English, so a lot of the vocabulary is familiar. It's the pronunciation, especially understanding a native speaker talking at normal speed, that causes problems for me.
Are the different languages in the Scandinavian countries similar to one another? Because I've a side interest in linguistics, I've been casually checking out some sites on Scandinavian lore, including language, and it seems really rich and diverse! Bit too much to take all in at once :P
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lowyhong: Are the different languages in the Scandinavian countries similar to one another? Because I've a side interest in linguistics, I've been casually checking out some sites on Scandinavian lore, including language, and it seems really rich and diverse! Bit too much to take all in at once :P
They're very similar on paper. You wouldn't know that from hearing us talk, however.

If you want to see what they all evolved from, you should check out the icelandic language. That's the one that's closest to the original norse language.
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lowyhong: Are the different languages in the Scandinavian countries similar to one another? Because I've a side interest in linguistics, I've been casually checking out some sites on Scandinavian lore, including language, and it seems really rich and diverse! Bit too much to take all in at once :P
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Zeewolf: They're very similar on paper. You wouldn't know that from hearing us talk, however.

If you want to see what they all evolved from, you should check out the icelandic language. That's the one that's closest to the original norse language.
Well, except Finnish (is that what it's called in English?), which, as far as I know, is not related to the other Scandinavian languages at all.
Well Finland isn't part of Scandinavia (technically). Scandinavia consists of Sweden, Denmark and Norway...