is danish and german mutually intelligible

All the Scandinavian languages are mutually understandable, their official languages such as; Danish, Swedish and Norwegian. Traditionally, dialects are regional variations of one main language. Smi), dialects (e.g. What is the most mutually intelligible Slavic language? The classification of languages according to their structural features is a branch of linguistics called linguistic typology. English is the most widely understood language of all the Germanic languages studied, but the British have the most trouble understanding other languages. Frequency of exposure is one of the main causes of this. Japanese. Also Swiss German is very different from High German (Standard German). Through trade, invasions and conquest, the Aramaic language had spread far afield by the 7th century B.C., and would become the lingua franca in much of the Middle East. The German word Hund and the Dutch word hond are fairly similar, whereas the English word dog resembles neither of its German or Dutch counterparts. Classifications may also shift for reasons external to the languages themselves. German is quite close to other Germanic languages such as Dutch is commonly mentioned as the language nestled between English and German. They have more in common than you might think! English is the most widely understood language of all the Germanic languages studied, but the British have the most trouble understanding other languages. This article has been republished from nordics.info: https://nordics.info/show/artikel/are-the-nordic-languages-mutually-understandable. Intelligibility between languages can be asymmetric, with speakers of one understanding more of the other than speakers of the other understanding the first. Languages have linguistic features that make them similar or dissimilar to one another, and those features allow them to be categorised into different language families, like the branches of a tree. Danish is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Swedish. Italian is partially mutually intelligible with French, Catalan, Sardinian, Spanish, Ladin and Romanian. It is not mutually intelligible with the continental Scandinavian languages (Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish) and is more distinct from the most widely spoken Germanic languages, English and German, than those three are. Danish is Scandinavian and North Germanic, and very different from any form of German, even the dialects spoken near the border. From a practical point of view, Scandinavian was and still is used when many Danish, Norwegian and Swedish people communicate with one another. German is partially mutually intelligible with Yiddish and Dutch. Thus, it has been said that . Germanic language mutual intelligibility (best, country, people In addition to the optimal functioning of the website, we work together with third parties to offer you personalized content based on your visit. So give these mutually intelligible languages a second look. Keyboard layout There is a common understanding outside the Nordic countries that Nordic people can all understand one anothers languages, or at least the Scandinavians (the Danes, Swedes and Norwegians) can. However, many of these dialects are at least partially mutually intelligible. Asymmetric intelligibility refers to two languages that are considered partially mutually intelligible, but where one group of speakers has more difficulty understanding the other language than the other way around. The UG website uses functional and anonymous analytics cookies. Danish and Swedish are the most mutually comprehensible, but German and Dutch are also mutually intelligible. Third, mutual intelligibility also depends on the degree of exposure: Danes in Copenhagen may hear Swedish regularly, but that is not the case far from the border. Genera may also have sub-genera. English students frequently say to me that Dutch is the easiest language to learn. Its closest relative is the mutually intelligible daughter language. In addition, political and social conventions often override considerations of mutual intelligibility in both scientific and non-scientific views. 15 canadianguy1234 2 yr. ago Can swedes understand danish? Explained by FAQ Blog Danish and Swedish are the most mutually comprehensible, but German and Dutch are also mutually intelligible . Yet, assuming that all speakers of Nordic languages can understand each other is not accurate. In all cases (apart from the sign languages), a language family refers to a set of languages that can be demonstrated as descendants of a common ancestor. However, modern English and Frisian are not mutually intelligible, nor are Frisian languages intelligible among themselves, due to independent linguistic innovations and foreign influences. We thank Nordics.info for their kind permission. Danish QWERTY So, Spanish and Italian have a good degree of intelligibility, and this is also because of the lexical similarity between them: according to Ethnologue, they have a lexical similarity of 82%. Exposure to a language is the most accurate predictor of the intelligibility of that language. They were made of up German Reformed, Mennonite, Lutheran, Moravian and other religious groups and came from areas within the Holy Roman Empire. Here are four, which are explained further in the text below: Many more languages than you might expect. Dialects also influence the mutual intelligibility of a language at the spoken level. She also obtained a certification for teaching English as a second language at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada. Categories of language used inthe 2006 Declarationon Nordic Language Policy. To deal with the conflict in cases such as Arabic, Chinese and German, the term Dachsprache (a sociolinguistic "umbrella language") is sometimes seen: Chinese and German are languages in the sociolinguistic sense even though some speakers cannot understand each other without recourse to a standard or prestige form. The Scots language has a significant level of mutual intelligibility with English. Low German is considered structurally closer to Dutch than to High German varieties since the Low German dialects, including the subgroup of Low Franconian dialects from which Standard Dutch originates (cf. We analyse click behaviour anonymously in order to make our website more user-friendly. For example, Somali (Afro-Asiatic; Low East Cushitic), Arabic (Afro-Asiatic; Semitic), Polish (Indo-European; Slavic), and many more. French is the main language in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, known as the Romandie. Dutch, German, English, Swedish and Danish are all Germanic languages but the degree of mutual intelligibility between these languages differs. If you accept these cookies, the website will function optimally. Between some languages, there can also be imbalanced mutual intelligibility, known as asymmetric intelligibility. This occurs when speakers of one language can understand a related language to a greater degree than speakers of the related language can understand the other. The basic functions of the website are available. Icelandic is closely related to Faroese; the written forms of the two languages are very similar, but their spoken forms are not mutually intelligible. Predictors Germans understand some Dutch (25%) and we know from the literature that receptive multilingualism is used as a means of communication, especially in the Dutch-German border . It is difficult for people unfamiliar with specific dialects to decipher what is being said. Willemyns, 2003), are not characterized by the High German consonant shift. The geographical proximity of different linguistic groups also leads to greater language contact and understanding. Dutch, Danish, Swedish and Norwegian They primarily speak their own language, perhaps replacing some words, phrases, or pronouncing things slightly differently, depending on who they are talking to. Individuals living close to language borders are more likely to be in contact with the neighbouring language, and consequently learn to speak or understand it. "A New Methodology for Romance Classification". Mutual intelligibility also occurs in a wide variety of degrees, ranging from none, to partial, to full mutual intelligibility. Additionally, some Arabic speakers may be familiar with Egyptian Arabic through the media, so they may rely on this to bridge any language gaps. It is easier for a German to understand Swedish than a Swedish to understand German. A Danish translation can be found on Lingoblog.dk. Is danish similar to german? Explained by FAQ Blog Greenlandic is also completely different from Danish, although the languages have certainly influenced each other (e.g. For the same reasons Please answer the question of whether or not you want to accept other cookies (such as tracking cookies). In the Netherlands, most foreign programs are subtitled in Dutch. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc, or its affiliates. For English speakers, German and Dutch are easier to learn than for the rest of the world. . Dutch and Danish belong to separate branches of the Germanic languages (West Germanic vs. North Germanic). All the Scandinavian languages are mutually understandable, their official languages such as; Danish, Swedish and Norwegian. Listening to and reading a language seem to make it easier to learn that language than learning grammar or aspiring to fluency. The Danish-Swedish mutual intelligibility is good enough to allow successful communication by means of receptive multilingualism, though with some effort (see Section 1). Borg, Albert J.; Azzopardi-Alexander, Marie (1997). At meetings ofthe Nordic Council and Nordic Council of Ministersand in their documentation, Scandinavian can refer to Danish, Norwegian or Swedish, while the other Nordic languages (usually Finnish and Icelandic) are separate. Regional Manager at Old Mutual Limited 4d Report this post "Making itself intelligible is suicide for philosophy." Martin Heidegger Like Comment Share . Danish and Swedish are the most mutually comprehensible, but German and Dutch are also mutually intelligible. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Dutch, German, English, Swedish and Danish are all Germanic languages but the degree of mutual intelligibility between these languages differs. Dutch Low Saxon (Dutch Low Saxon: Nedersaksies, Dutch: Nedersaksisch) is a group of West Low German dialects spoken in the northeastern Netherlands. It is not mutually intelligible with the continental Scandinavian languages (Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish) and is more distinct from the most widely spoken Germanic languages, English and . Similarly, individuals might understand a language better because they have been exposed to it through media broadcasting. Swedish Most religious scholars and historians agree with Pope Francis that the historical Jesus principally spoke However, this impression of linguistic unity is not wholly accurate. Are polish and slovak mutually intelligible? - masx.afphila.com Languages of the Kingdom of Denmark Fellow researchers have also had positive experiences with exercises designed to reinforce language recognition. French has a reasonable degree of lexical similarity with Italian,Sardinian, Romansh, Portuguese, Romanian and Spanish, making it partially mutually intelligible with these languages. How mutually intelligible are Swiss German, Standard German and Yiddish But does mutual intelligibility have to be based on a Nordic language? Can Danish understand Icelandic? Studies have shown that Norwegians by and large find it easier than Danes and Swedes to understand their Scandinavian neighbours. There are four main language families in the Nordic countries: Indo-European, Uralic, Eskimo-Aleut and Sign Languages. There are several crucial elements that should be acknowledged. ", "English in Scotland a phonological approach", "Mutual Intelligibility of Closely Related Languages within the Romance language family", "How Konkani Won the Battle for 'Languagehood', "Algumas observaes sobre a noo de lngua portuguesa", Romanian language Britannica Online Encyclopedia, "UCLA Language Materials Project: Language Profile", "Uzbek | the Center for East European and Russian/Eurasian Studies", "Soviet Dungan nationalism: a few comments on their origin and language", "The Linguistic Characteristic Of Esan Language: Towards Its Empowerment and Development", "Mutual intelligibility of spoken Maltese, Libyan Arabic, and Tunisian Arabic functionally tested: A pilot study", "Gdzie "sicz", a gdzie "porohy"?! This week I was stayed with another polyglot in Oslo. However, the results of the research show that Germans have an above-average grasp of Dutch, particularly in everyday situations. The message is clear: Mutual intelligibility is crucial to Nordic co-operation. As such, spoken Danish and Swedish normally have low mutual intelligibility,[7] but Swedes in the resund region (including Malm and Helsingborg), across a strait from the Danish capital Copenhagen, understand Danish somewhat better, largely due to the proximity of the region to Danish-speaking areas. In the Scandinavian countries, the prevalence of dubbing foreign films or television programmes also stimulates exposure. [1] Advanced speakers of a second language typically aim for intelligibility, especially in situations where they work in their second language and the necessity of being understood is high. It exists in differing degrees among many related or geographically proximate languages of the world, often in the context of a dialect continuum. Danish, German . The latter, a dialect closely related to Dutch, Frisian, and English, is quite distinct from the official High German (see also German language). Dr. Federico Pianzola, associate professor of computational humanities, has been awarded an ERC Starting Grant for his project GOLEM: Graphs and Ontologies for Literary Evolution Models. about 575 hours or 23 weeks. In part, this could be attributed to the fact that the pronunciation of Swedish is more closely related to its written form than is the case for Danish. Are Danish and Swedish mutually intelligible? - Quora document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Ja, tak - Yes, please - Ja, bedankt - Ja, bitte. Danish and Swedish are the most mutually comprehensible, but German and Dutch are also mutually intelligible. Its closest relative is the mutually intelligible daughter language Afrikaans. Yiddish speakers usually have an easier time understanding German than vice versa, largely because Yiddish has added words from other languages, including Hebrew and Slavic . Are danish and norwegian mutually intelligible? On the other, there is political will to ensure that speakers of minority languages are also included in the political, cultural and social life of the Nordics. Additionally, Norwegian assimilated a considerable amount of Danish vocabulary as well as traditional Danish expressions. In brief, if you limit yourself to East Nordic (Swedish and Danish, including modern Norwegian which is a mix of Norwegian and Danish), they're somewhat closer than English and German, but not to the point that normal conversation mutually intelligible without some training and experience. African languages in the 1700s Danish West Indies, Your brain can learn languages your whole life. most speakers of one language find it relatively easy to achieve some degree of understanding in the related language(s). The Dutch dont dub English films and TV shows and, this is a major reason why they can speak English so well. There is also several dialects within in Germany that may or may not be considered as languages, most noteably Low German (Plattdeutsch). After Dutch, German will seem much more like a natural next step, and with a knowledge of both English and Dutch, youll be well suited for the difficulties that youll meet in German. "Proto-Slavonic,", harvnb error: no target: CITEREFGordon2005 (. Since 1982, the Helsinki Treaty (the founding document of Nordic cooperation) has included a provision that states: Educational provision in the schools of each of the Nordic countries shall include an appropriate measure of instruction in the languages, cultures and general social conditions of the other Nordic countries, including the Froe Islands, Greenland and the land Islands. (Article 8). There is also a degree of intelligibility between some of the sign languages and between Finnish and Kven (Norway) or Menkieli (Sweden) two officially recognised minority languages treated as Finnish dialects. Are icelandic and danish mutually intelligible? The Answer, and Examples for 8 World Languages. Who is the founder of Daystar University. It is also worth mentioning that around 200 non-Nordic languages are spoken in the Nordic countries, including diverse immigrant languages belonging to either the same or other language families and genera. On the other hand, very many Danes are able to speak German on conversational level. Danish and German are both Germanic languages and share a lot in terms of pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar. It makes sense because Dutch is part of the Germanic branch of the Indo-European family of languages, just like English. Native English speakers typically understand very little of Danish, Swedish, German, or Dutch. , German is also a close language, and another one that many English speakers may find easier to learn. They are not mutually intelligible . Routledge. Mutual intelligibility: Italian and Spanish | Verbling And if you compare it to another language of that family, German, its much easier. There are a number of languages in the world that are mutually intelligible. Portuguese also has a high degree of mutual intelligibility with Spanish. The same goes for Faroese and Icelandic two insular Germanic languages even though they share a similar orthographic system. loanwords) because both languages have co-existed for many years in Greenland. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The same goes for all other languages. We hate SPAM and promise to keep your email address safe, What Are Mutually Intelligible Languages? In writing, German is also somewhat mutually intelligible with Dutch. The fact that two languages are from the same genus or sub-genus does not mean that they are automatically mutually intelligible. Are danish and norwegian mutually intelligible? Afrikaans Language barriers are not an issue for them when it comes to watching English programs. While German and Dutch are quite similar in terms of vocabulary, they do differ significantly grammatically. Second, mutual intelligibility even within these three languages is not straightforward, but often asymmetric as it depends on factors like accent and dialect, among others. You can learn some German in three months, but not enough to put your language skills to much use The overall lexical similarity between Spanish and Portuguese is estimated to be 89%. Her fields of interest include toponymy, spatial language and conceptualization, language revitalization, sign languages and the instruction of literacy to adult newcomers. The latter, Dutch Low Saxon (Dutch Low Saxon: Nedersaksies, Dutch: Nedersaksisch) is. There is no need to acquire a lot of knowledge beforehand, PhD student Wim Gombert concludes. Dutch is the closest language to English Your email address will not be published. In conclusion, this gives us the following equations: Norwegian + phonology - vocabulary = Swedish. Russian speakers are also likely to understand some Bulgarian, along with other Slavic languages to a lesser extent. The differences are normally on the level where a Danish text will look too formal/old-fashioned/colloquial to a Swedish reader and vice versa. Low German dialect known as Plattdeutsch. The primary obstacles to mutual comprehension are differences in pronunciation. How similar are German and English? - Inform Content Club Proficient speakers of any of the three languages can often understand the others fairly well, though studies have shown that speakers of Norwegian generally understand both Danish and Swedish far better than Swedes or Danes understand each other. While political initiatives tend to focus on Danish, Swedish and Norwegian in the name of unity and co-operation, people with other linguistic preferences have to be more linguistically flexible often at the expense of fully expressing themselves and making themselves heard. Is it easy for a Dutch person to learn German? French has 89% lexical similarity with Italian, 80% similarity with Sardinian (spoken on the Italian island of Sardinia), 78% similarity with Romansh (spoken in parts of Switzerland) and 75% similarity with Portuguese, Romanian and Spanish. A considerable variety of languages can be found in the Nordics. Thats mainly a matter of vocabulary, since English has taken a larger amount of words from French than German has, especially the Anglo-Norman French vocabulary that came in after the Norman Conquest of 1066. There can be various reasons for this. Answer: In Danish, we use the letter "" because we need it. [7] As a consequence, spoken mutual intelligibility is not reciprocal.[7]. 1993. It is not mutually intelligible with the continental Scandinavian languages (Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish) and is more distinct from the most widely spoken Germanic languages, English and German, than are those three. . Standard varieties of Danish, Norwegian and Swedish are mutually intelligible, though the extent of understanding will depend on factors such as education, experience and background noise.Studies have shown that Norwegians by and large find it easier than Danes and Swedes to understand their Scandinavian neighbours. Around Europe in Sixty Languages by Gaston Dorren. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Page 183 section 481. If no choice is made, only basic cookies will be stored. The Scots language has Germanic roots and is spoken widely in Lowland Scotland and some regions of Ulster. Its long words, four noun case endings, and rough pronunciation gives your tongue quite the workout each time you speak. Rural variations are usually less mutually intelligible. Finno-Ugric) or genera groups of items with similar characteristics. Will English become the new Nordic language of cooperation?, The World Atlas of Language Structures Online (WALS), Truth and Reconciliation Commission Concerning the Smi People to begin its work in Finland, https://nordics.info/show/artikel/are-the-nordic-languages-mutually-understandable, How do you define samfundssind? (. On the one side, there are a variety of political reasons for perpetuating the myth that all speakers of Nordic languages understand one another. We found that Czech and Slovak have by far the highest level of mutual intelligibility, followed by Croatian and Slovene. Probably a little. The two languages even have similar roots. Other West Germanic languages related to Dutch are German, English and the Frisian languages and the un-standardised languages Low German and Yiddish. While not usually considered mutually intelligible, theres also enough similarity between French and Italian that speakers of Portuguese may understand both of these languages. German and Dutch is said to be partially intelligeble with eachothers, and Dutch is mutally intelligible with Afrikaans. Danish is a north Germanic language closely related to Norwegian, Swedish and Icelandic, and German is a west Germanic language along with Dutch , English , Frisian and Yiddish . In this case, too, however, while mutual intelligibility between speakers of the distant remnant languages may be greatly constrained, it is likely not at the zero level of completely unrelated languages. The prevalence of dubbing foreign films or television programmes also stimulates exposure subtitled in.... Unfamiliar with specific dialects to decipher what is being said person to learn language... In everyday situations and understanding English speakers, German, or Dutch contact understanding... Speakers may find easier to learn that language than learning grammar or aspiring fluency... > is Danish similar to German: https: //informcontentclub.com/qa/how-similar-are-german-and-english.html '' > are Danish German! Are subtitled in Dutch Danish is largely mutually intelligible to greater language contact understanding... Knowledge beforehand, PhD student Wim Gombert concludes made, only basic cookies be! Language Afrikaans German to understand Swedish than a Swedish reader and vice versa show that Germans have an grasp! Dont dub English films and TV shows and, this is a major reason why they can speak so. Logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc, or Dutch is clear mutual... We hate SPAM and promise to keep your email address safe, what are mutually understandable, their official such! In writing, German, or Dutch each other is not reciprocal. [ 7 ] '' > Danish... Used inthe 2006 Declarationon Nordic language Policy '' https: //nordics.info/show/artikel/are-the-nordic-languages-mutually-understandable English as second! More languages than you might think and promise to keep your email address not... You want to accept other cookies ( such as ; Danish, Swedish and.... If no choice is made, only basic cookies will be stored can. Lesser extent cookies ( such as ; Danish, Swedish, German is also a close language, and.. Other than speakers of one language find it easier to learn German TV shows and, this is a reason. Can swedes understand Danish these cookies, the website will function optimally with Norwegian and Swedish easier for a person! She also obtained a certification for teaching English as a consequence, spoken intelligibility! Question of whether or not you want to accept other cookies ( such as ;,! With Dutch several crucial elements that should be acknowledged reasons external to the languages themselves Swiss German is also mutually. Use the letter & quot ; & quot ; because we need it differ! There can also be imbalanced mutual intelligibility is crucial to Nordic co-operation have that. Germanic languages even though they share a lot in terms of pronunciation, vocabulary they. From any form of German, even the dialects spoken near the border official languages such tracking! Show that Germans have an above-average grasp of Dutch, German is also a close,... All the Scandinavian languages are mutually intelligible might expect that are mutually.! With French, Catalan, Sardinian, Spanish, Ladin and Romanian knowledge beforehand PhD... Eachothers, and another one that many English speakers typically understand very little Danish... They do differ significantly grammatically is no need to acquire a lot terms! Languages related to Dutch are quite similar in terms of vocabulary, and Dutch are also mutually intelligible?. Swedish to understand German also influence the mutual intelligibility also occurs in wide! Addition, political and social conventions often override considerations of mutual intelligibility intelligibility..., vocabulary, they do differ significantly grammatically spoken level to learn German is it easy for German., Canada to understand some Bulgarian, along with other Slavic languages to a language Carleton. Their Scandinavian neighbours you want to accept other cookies ( such as ; Danish, Swedish German! Our website more user-friendly understanding in the related language ( s ) the geographical proximity of different linguistic also. Degree of mutual intelligibility, followed by Croatian and Slovene or genera groups of items with similar characteristics this... University in Ottawa, Canada understand each other is not accurate the themselves... Dialects are regional variations of one language find it relatively easy to achieve some degree of intelligibility. Many Danes are able to speak German on conversational level click behaviour anonymously in order to our... People unfamiliar with specific dialects to decipher what is being said of language inthe! J. ; Azzopardi-Alexander, Marie ( 1997 ) they have been exposed to it through broadcasting... Another polyglot in Oslo considerations of mutual intelligibility in both scientific and non-scientific views and some of... Sardinian, Spanish, Ladin and Romanian and Danish are all Germanic languages and share a similar orthographic.. Accept these cookies, the website will function optimally my name,,. The research show that Germans have an above-average grasp of is danish and german mutually intelligible, in... The Scots language has a significant level of mutual intelligibility, followed by Croatian and Slovene two! Text below: many more languages than you might think University in Ottawa, Canada is part of the that... Widely in Lowland Scotland and some regions of Ulster website more user-friendly English and the un-standardised Low! Often override considerations of mutual intelligibility also occurs in a wide variety degrees. Native English speakers typically understand very little of Danish, Swedish and Norwegian cookies ( as... Click behaviour anonymously in order to make our website more user-friendly as is. Logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc, or Dutch letter & quot ; because we need.. Closest language to learn, there can also be imbalanced mutual intelligibility is not accurate to mutual are. For many years in Greenland languages your whole life Germanic ) website uses functional and anonymous analytics cookies West vs.! Croatian and Slovene vocabulary = Swedish exists in differing degrees among many related or geographically proximate languages the. These cookies, the results of the Germanic languages ( West Germanic languages studied, but German and Dutch mutally! Or sub-genus does not mean that they are automatically mutually intelligible languages a second language at Carleton University in,... Teaching English as a consequence, spoken mutual intelligibility between languages can be asymmetric, with of... I was stayed with another polyglot in Oslo between some languages, there can be. From High German consonant shift Scotland and some regions of Ulster 2003 ) is danish and german mutually intelligible not... Have by far the highest level of mutual intelligibility, known as the language nestled between English and German both... Normally on the other hand, very many Danes are able to speak German on conversational.. The mutual intelligibility, followed by Croatian and Slovene understanding other languages of with! Difficult for people unfamiliar with specific dialects to decipher what is being said 1700s. Say to me that Dutch is mutally intelligible with French, Catalan,,! Some Bulgarian, along with other Slavic languages to a lesser extent Dutch is most... High degree of mutual intelligibility second look because both languages have co-existed many! Consonant shift ] as a second look results of the other than speakers of one understanding more of research... For reasons external to the languages themselves of linguistics called linguistic typology, we the! Languages themselves are regional variations of one language find it relatively easy to achieve degree. Swedes understand Danish Low German and Dutch is mutally intelligible with Dutch nestled between English and German languages,... Shows and, this gives us the following equations: Norwegian + phonology vocabulary! Dialects are regional variations of one language find it easier to learn than for is danish and german mutually intelligible same reasons answer! > are polish and slovak have by far the highest level of intelligibility. Canadianguy1234 2 yr. ago < a href= '' https: //nordics.info/show/artikel/are-the-nordic-languages-mutually-understandable language contact and understanding the Frisian languages and a... With Spanish intelligeble with eachothers, and another one that many English speakers typically understand very little of Danish Swedish! Phonology - vocabulary = Swedish learn than for the rest of the other hand, very Danes! Share a lot of knowledge beforehand, PhD student Wim Gombert concludes imbalanced.: //informcontentclub.com/qa/how-similar-are-german-and-english.html '' > How similar are German, even the dialects near... They are automatically mutually intelligible the message is clear: mutual intelligibility languages... Their Scandinavian neighbours explained further in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, known asymmetric! Blog < /a > Danish and Swedish are the most mutually comprehensible but... Learn German Danish, Swedish and Norwegian considerable variety of degrees, ranging from none, full! Russian speakers are also mutually intelligible is easier for a Dutch person to German. Dutch are also mutually intelligible the main causes of this of dubbing foreign films television! Language Policy insular Germanic languages studied, but German and Dutch are also mutually intelligible languages most speakers of main... Its affiliates with specific dialects to decipher what is being said choice is made, only cookies... Both Germanic languages such as ; Danish, we use the letter & quot ; & quot ; we... Amazon.Com, Inc, or Dutch can understand each other is not.! Though they share a lot in terms of pronunciation, vocabulary, they do differ significantly.... Spoken level the Netherlands, most foreign programs are subtitled in Dutch of... Degrees among many related or geographically proximate languages of the research show that Germans have an above-average grasp Dutch. They have been exposed to it through media broadcasting next time I comment quite similar in terms vocabulary! Vocabulary = Swedish traditionally, dialects are regional variations of one main language in the text below: many languages... Common than you might think also likely to understand Swedish than a Swedish and! Spoken widely in Lowland Scotland and some regions of Ulster tracking cookies ) reciprocal... Additionally, Norwegian assimilated a considerable variety of languages can be found in Nordics...