Swedish parts of Finland

[CH]

The Swedish spoken here is quite different from what is spoken in
Sweden and many dialects of Finnish Swedish aren't even intelligible
to other Finnish Swedish speakers.

There are some dialects, yes, but I wouldn't say many. The Närpes dialect is the most famous in this sense, but otherwise it's mostly just different words and old ways of speaking, that makes some dialects perhaps a bit harder to follow, but certainly not unintelligible.

[sammy]

And I'm still trying to figure out what privileges I'm supposed to have... and where the heck is my silver spoon and giant inheritance?!?

Actually, as for myself (a non-Swedish-speaking Finn) I must confess that I hold an irrational grudge against finlandsvenska as a language - a few of my cousins visited us now and then when I was a nipper and I just could not unerstand why they had to speak Swedish to each other although they knew I did not understand it, and they were bilingual anyway. I felt quite "inferior" and "rejected from company"... but of course, it was not deliberate on their side. I guess they could not grasp the fact that I did not understand them.

Anyway I've gotten over that trauma - nowadays, in the rare occasions I happen to see them, I merely boot them in the groin a couple of times

On a more serious note I still do not really speak Swedish very well, despite the obligatory language education. I've mostly lived in the non-Swedish speaking areas of Finland so there was little if any practical sense of actually using Swedish. Better skills in the lingo would be useful now when I'm living in Helsinki. But one can manage without it in Hell-sinki. I guess it's a different thing in regions like Ekenäs where Swedish is the dominant language.

[sammy]

The Swedish spoken here is quite different from what is spoken in
Sweden and many dialects of Finnish Swedish aren't even intelligible
to other Finnish Swedish speakers.

There are some dialects, yes, but I wouldn't say many. The Närpes dialect is the most famous in this sense, but otherwise it's mostly just different words and old ways of speaking, that makes some dialects perhaps a bit harder to follow, but certainly not unintelligible.

Is the Närpes dialect similar to/the same as the one sometimes hears in e.g. Kokkola? That is difficult at least for me, to the point of being utterly unintelligible. But then again as said I'm a Finnish-speaker merely

[enk]

The Swedish spoken here is quite different from what is spoken in
Sweden and many dialects of Finnish Swedish aren't even intelligible
to other Finnish Swedish speakers.

There are some dialects, yes, but I wouldn't say many. The Närpes dialect is the most famous in this sense, but otherwise it's mostly just different words and old ways of speaking, that makes some dialects perhaps a bit harder to follow, but certainly not unintelligible.

Note, I learned the Skåne dialect of Swedish, so Jepua and the Kokkola
version have always been like languages from outer space to me.

For that matter, so is Stockholms svenska.

-enk

[luoto]

Real Swedish with its sing song skkkkuuuujj sounds can be a bugger when you are not expecting it.

[Mark I.]

Jag har svårighterer att följä danska och norska (och skåne), men inga problem med riksvenska och finlands svenska.

[Hank W.]

In school it was always
- why do we have to learn swedish?
- so when you go to sweden you can speak with the people

Stockholm I
- Goddag
- Päivää
- v*** tala Svenska!

Stockholm II
- Goddag
- Yes can I help you
- v*** tala Svenska!

Stockholm III
- Goddag
- Gu mååån
- v**** tala Svenska!

Summa summarum: Learning Swedish was of no use the teachers lied to us. And I refuse to speak English with Swedes, its a revenge to the 5th declination

[sinikettu]

I can see Hank making himself a nuisance here..

The Swedish equivalent of this site...Same topics..."Why do we Hate Living here"
just...for Finland read Sweden.


http://www.thelocal.se/discuss/


They also have a pretty good "Swedish News In English" ...

http://www.thelocal.se/


But word of warning..judging by the message board during the Olympics Ice Hockey...Inga tycka om Finska....

[Hank W.]

I can see Hank making himself a nuisance here..

Oh, most definitely

Granted, I learned my Swedish from the relatives, in Borgå. Living there "rekindled" the language. But thats the problem, I speak a very dialectical form, and in school I always battled with the grammar. I still need to have someone to proofread anything I write. I can get buy, especially when the little old lady goes "Päivägudaa, kan ungamannen jelppi mei jauhopussi fRRRoon tääR på ylähylly..." And working on the Viking line the Kångo dialect is also quite distinct in a sense. I make a Stockholmers ears bleed...

Men liksom Markku det är inte en fråga om jag kan eller inte, det frågan är om jag vill eller inte.

Theres an excellent site with different Swedish dialects: Now listen to some Närpes, Kångo or Borgå and then try Stockholm... va sa du?
http://swedia.ling.umu.se/

[Hank W.]

http://www.thelocal.se/discuss/

*giggle*

Drinking fourteen 6.6% cans of lager before emerging to the bars, "to save money".

Quite Swedish

I've been living and working in Sweden for 7 months. And I have problems trying to make good friends. Even when most of the Swedes speak english, I suspect that the language difference is a wall between us. Besides that, I have felt that Swedes are not very "open" talking about friendship, is my perception wrong?, or Swedes are really cold people?

It seems people run into quite similar snags as in Finland, so apparently theres a lot of "Nordic Things" instead of just "Finnish Things or "Swedish Things"... alcohol laws, greeting people, going to church, whining about apartments... it is a really good read. "Greener grass" and all that

Swedes "cold" :lol::lol::lol::lol:

[sammy]

http://www.thelocal.se/discuss/

It seems people run into quite similar snags as in Finland, so apparently theres a lot of "Nordic Things" instead of just "Finnish Things or "Swedish Things"... alcohol laws, greeting people, going to church, whining about apartments... it is a really good read. "Greener grass" and all that

Now, Hank, let's see if we can find a message beginning like this on that Swedish board...

I want to study swedish or nuclear physics at Arjeplog university...

[Hank W.]

Should we...

[sammy]

Should we...

Are you suggesting that we impersonate an ardent but rather ignorant (Finnish!?!) student... and see what the Swedish forum suggests...?

Now that would be mean (on second thoughts, perhaps we've been had and all those wannabe Telajärvi students that we have occasionally advised are actually still laughing at us in Malmö... )

[Hank W.]

Well, there was one guy claiming theres Russians living in Finland as the leftovers of the Porkkala Zone ...Paldiski, Porkkala, Finland, Estonia whatever.. he was an American, from Toronto

[Mark I.]

Summa summarum: Learning Swedish was of no use the teachers lied to us.

mmm...actually at one work place it was very good to know Swedish, because everyone else there were finlandsvenska. There are a lot of swedish speakers living in this neighbourhood (perhaps 30%). Besides, its most usefull being able to follow Swedish TV (and understand it ).

And I refuse to speak English with Swedes, its a revenge to the 5th declination

Hah, it's been always the same for me. I could speak Swedish, but then Swedish superiour -complexed people would have an upper hand on discussions. I have sometimes even said in Stockholm (I recall one post office) "It's quite OK for you to speak Swedish, while I replay in English..." and the discussion went quite smoothly. Once it was amazing in one hotel in Stockholm, as the staff though I'm American - untill one of our drunken Uni student bunch went asking for Sauna (9 am.)... Talk about difference in Swedish service to a Finn vs. American!