110: Swedish Culture

[Molly Cramer]

I think the following video is a neat piece of culture from Sweden because it depicts one of Sweden's most famous modern actors, Stellan Skarsgard, being interviewed by two Danish talk-show hosts and yet he responds only in Swedish. This demonstrates not only how closely the two languages are (because they can understand enough of each others' language to process the question and formulate an answer in their native tongue) but it also demonstrates the regional animosity between Denmark and Sweden. I find it funny and interesting that Swedes for the most part can understand/speak Danish and Norwegian (Finnish is a bit more challenges because it sounds so archaic) but choose not to. I know personally that my boyfriend and his sister can understand Danish because they are from so far south in Sweden that they actually fly out of Copenhagen rather than Stockholm and they can answer questions/have conversations with Danish people. You'd think that if you have the ability to communicate with someone in their language, you would! But in the case of Swedes and Danes especially it seems as if there is enough regional animosity (even if it is less political/militarily based and more cultural and even sort of a joke these days) to prevent Swedes to this day from speaking Danish to a Danish native. I do think, however, that it would be neat to know/understand enough Swedish to be able to converse in Danish or Norwegian too!

[Molly Cramer]

Here is the link to that video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-554iMoBKA. And yes, I understand that Finnish is not in the same language family as the other three. I was just pointing out the stark differences between those three and Finnish because of that fact. Interestingly a lot of Finns live in Sweden and vice versa and since the languages aren't very similar I bet it must take more practice to communicate!

[Global Studio]

Do you have a link to the video?

[Global Studio]

Finnish isn't in the same language family as Swedish, Norwegian, and Danish.