Languages of Svalbard
Encyclopedia
Svalbard
has a population of approximately 2,400 people as of 2005. Approximately 70% of the people are Norwegian
; the remaining 30% are Russian and Ukrainian
. The official language of Svalbard is Norwegian
. Russian
is used in the Russian settlements, but formerly, Russenorsk
was the lingua franca of the entire Barents Sea
region.
The annual population growth is -0.02%, but as may be seen from the following chart, the ex-Soviet population has atrophied, while the Norwegians have been increasing.
is the official, and main language, of the archipelago. The weekly Svalbardposten
is published in it.
Mainly Norwegian speaking settlements include Longyearbyen
, the capital, Ny-Ålesund
and Sveagruva
Mainly Russian-speaking settlements include Barentsburg
Some Russian is spoken in Svalbard's capital Longyearbyen
, and appears in some signage.
Abandoned communities which spoke Russian include Grumant
until 1961, Pyramiden
until 2000.
was established in 2003, by the People's Republic of China
.
was Dutch
speaking until about 1660. The name itself is Dutch for "blubber town". There was also a Dutch whaling station on Ytre Norskøya
and several other locations in Svalbard as well.
The Netherlands
still retains a research station at Ny-Ålesund
.
were also present at Smeerenburg from 1619-23, 1625 and 1631. They also built a seasonal settlement in Kobbefjorden
, which they occupied for a quarter century (1631-58).
was spoken from the many whaling settlements established in Svalbard from 1611 to 1670.
, which was occupied from 1633 to 1638. France
now maintains a research station at Ny-Ålesund
.
, the United Kingdom
, France, Italy
, Japan
and South Korea
all maintain research stations at Ny-Ålesund, although not all are inhabited year-round.
brought about an end to its use; it is reported that the last Norwegian–Russian trade occurred in 1923, marking the last use of Russenorsk.
It was a pidgin
language combining elements of Russian
and Norwegian
, created by traders and whalers
from northern Norway
and the Russian Kola peninsula
. Another name for the language was Moja på tvoja that parodied a perverted Russian phrase, meaning something like "I can speak in your language" (from the Russian words "my", here used to mean "in" "your")
and Norwegian are mutually comprehensible to a considerable degree.
Pyramiden
, which later became Soviet, was founded by a Swedish company in 1910.
Svalbard
Svalbard is an archipelago in the Arctic, constituting the northernmost part of Norway. It is located north of mainland Europe, midway between mainland Norway and the North Pole. The group of islands range from 74° to 81° north latitude , and from 10° to 35° east longitude. Spitsbergen is the...
has a population of approximately 2,400 people as of 2005. Approximately 70% of the people are Norwegian
Norwegians
Norwegians constitute both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway. They share a common culture and speak the Norwegian language. Norwegian people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in United States, Canada and Brazil.-History:Towards the end of the 3rd...
; the remaining 30% are Russian and Ukrainian
Ukrainians
Ukrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens...
. The official language of Svalbard is Norwegian
Norwegian language
Norwegian is a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is the official language. Together with Swedish and Danish, Norwegian forms a continuum of more or less mutually intelligible local and regional variants .These Scandinavian languages together with the Faroese language...
. Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
is used in the Russian settlements, but formerly, Russenorsk
Russenorsk language
Russenorsk was a dual-source pidgin language in the Arctic combining elements of Russian and Norwegian, created by Russian traders and Norwegian fishermen from northern Norway and the Russian Kola peninsula. It was used extensively in Northern Norway for about 150 years in the so-called Pomor...
was the lingua franca of the entire Barents Sea
Barents Sea
The Barents Sea is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, located north of Norway and Russia. Known in the Middle Ages as the Murman Sea, the sea takes its current name from the Dutch navigator Willem Barents...
region.
The annual population growth is -0.02%, but as may be seen from the following chart, the ex-Soviet population has atrophied, while the Norwegians have been increasing.
| Year | Total | Norwegian | Russian/Soviet | Polish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 3,544 | 1,125 | 2,407 | 12 |
| 1995 | 2,906 | 1,218 | 1,679 | 9 |
| 2000 | 2,376 | 1,475 | 893 | 8 |
| 2005 | 2,400 | 1,645 | 747 | 8 |
Norwegian
NorwegianNorwegian language
Norwegian is a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is the official language. Together with Swedish and Danish, Norwegian forms a continuum of more or less mutually intelligible local and regional variants .These Scandinavian languages together with the Faroese language...
is the official, and main language, of the archipelago. The weekly Svalbardposten
Svalbardposten
Svalbardposten, founded in 1948, is a Norwegian weekly paper, which operates from Longyearbyen . It is the northernmost regularly published newspaper in the world. In 2003 it had 3,224 subscribers. According to its estimates it has more subscribers than there are people in Svalbard. The newspaper...
is published in it.
Mainly Norwegian speaking settlements include Longyearbyen
Longyearbyen
Longyearbyen is the largest settlement and the administrative centre of Svalbard, Norway. It is located on the western coast of Spitsbergen, the largest island of the Svalbard archipelago, on the southern side on Adventfjorden , which continues inland with Adventdalen...
, the capital, Ny-Ålesund
Ny-Ålesund
Ny-Ålesund is one of the four permanent settlements on the island of Spitsbergen in the Svalbard archipelago. It is located on the Brøgger peninsula at Kongsfjorden...
and Sveagruva
Russian
Barentsburg
Barentsburg is the second largest settlement on Svalbard, with about 500 inhabitants , almost entirely Russians and Ukrainians. The Russian-owned Arktikugol has been mining coal here since 1932.-Status:...
Some Russian is spoken in Svalbard's capital Longyearbyen
Longyearbyen
Longyearbyen is the largest settlement and the administrative centre of Svalbard, Norway. It is located on the western coast of Spitsbergen, the largest island of the Svalbard archipelago, on the southern side on Adventfjorden , which continues inland with Adventdalen...
, and appears in some signage.
Abandoned communities which spoke Russian include Grumant
Grumant
Grumant was a Soviet Russian settlement in Svalbard, Norway, established in 1912 and abandoned in 1965. The population peaked at 1106 in 1951/52 . The name ‘Grumant’ is Pomor in origin, and is also use to refer to the whole of the Svalbard archipelago...
until 1961, Pyramiden
Pyramiden
Pyramiden is an abandoned Russian settlement and coal mining community on the archipelago of Svalbard, Norway. It was founded by Sweden in 1910 and sold to the Soviet Union in 1927...
until 2000.
Chinese
The Arctic Yellow River StationArctic Yellow River Station
The Polar Research Institute of China established its Arctic Yellow River Station in Ny-Ålesund, on Svalbard, in 2003.Scientists at the station conducted research into the Aurora Borealis and microbes in the ice-pack, glacier monitoring, atmospheric research.-References:...
was established in 2003, by the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
.
Dutch
SmeerenburgSmeerenburg
The settlement of Smeerenburg on Amsterdam Island in north-west Svalbard, originated with Danish and Dutch whalers in 1619: one of Europe's northernmost outposts.-Reality:...
was Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
speaking until about 1660. The name itself is Dutch for "blubber town". There was also a Dutch whaling station on Ytre Norskøya
Ytre Norskøya
Ytre Norskøya is an island on the northwest coast of Spitsbergen, part of the Svalbard archipelago.-History:Remains of a whaling station exist on the southern side of the island, possibly rivaling Smeerenburg in size. It was Europe's northernmost outpost ever established until the early 19th...
and several other locations in Svalbard as well.
The Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
still retains a research station at Ny-Ålesund
Ny-Ålesund
Ny-Ålesund is one of the four permanent settlements on the island of Spitsbergen in the Svalbard archipelago. It is located on the Brøgger peninsula at Kongsfjorden...
.
Danish
The DanesDenmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
were also present at Smeerenburg from 1619-23, 1625 and 1631. They also built a seasonal settlement in Kobbefjorden
Kobbefjorden
Kobbefjorden is a small fjord on the west coast of Danskøya, on the northwestern coast of Spitsbergen, the largest island of the Svalbard archipelago. The fjord is about two miles long and 1-1.2 miles wide...
, which they occupied for a quarter century (1631-58).
English
EnglishEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
was spoken from the many whaling settlements established in Svalbard from 1611 to 1670.
French
French was spoken at the whaling settlement in HamburgbuktaHamburgbukta
Hamburgbukta is a one-kilometer-long bay on the western side of Hoelhalvøya, Albert I Land, Spitsbergen in the Svalbard archipelago. -History:...
, which was occupied from 1633 to 1638. France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
now maintains a research station at Ny-Ålesund
Ny-Ålesund
Ny-Ålesund is one of the four permanent settlements on the island of Spitsbergen in the Svalbard archipelago. It is located on the Brøgger peninsula at Kongsfjorden...
.
Other languages
At present, GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, France, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
all maintain research stations at Ny-Ålesund, although not all are inhabited year-round.
Russenorsk
The history of Russenorsk or Russonorsk (Norwegian for "Russo-Norwegian") is mainly limited to 18th and 19th centuries. The Russian Revolution of 1917Russian Revolution of 1917
The Russian Revolution is the collective term for a series of revolutions in Russia in 1917, which destroyed the Tsarist autocracy and led to the creation of the Soviet Union. The Tsar was deposed and replaced by a provisional government in the first revolution of February 1917...
brought about an end to its use; it is reported that the last Norwegian–Russian trade occurred in 1923, marking the last use of Russenorsk.
It was a pidgin
Pidgin
A pidgin , or pidgin language, is a simplified language that develops as a means of communication between two or more groups that do not have a language in common. It is most commonly employed in situations such as trade, or where both groups speak languages different from the language of the...
language combining elements of Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
and Norwegian
Norwegian language
Norwegian is a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is the official language. Together with Swedish and Danish, Norwegian forms a continuum of more or less mutually intelligible local and regional variants .These Scandinavian languages together with the Faroese language...
, created by traders and whalers
Whaling
Whaling is the hunting of whales mainly for meat and oil. Its earliest forms date to at least 3000 BC. Various coastal communities have long histories of sustenance whaling and harvesting beached whales...
from northern Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
and the Russian Kola peninsula
Kola Peninsula
The Kola Peninsula is a peninsula in the far northwest of Russia. Constituting the bulk of the territory of Murmansk Oblast, it lies almost completely to the north of the Arctic Circle and is washed by the Barents Sea in the north and the White Sea in the east and southeast...
. Another name for the language was Moja på tvoja that parodied a perverted Russian phrase, meaning something like "I can speak in your language" (from the Russian words "my", here used to mean "in" "your")
Swedish
SwedishSwedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
and Norwegian are mutually comprehensible to a considerable degree.
Pyramiden
Pyramiden
Pyramiden is an abandoned Russian settlement and coal mining community on the archipelago of Svalbard, Norway. It was founded by Sweden in 1910 and sold to the Soviet Union in 1927...
, which later became Soviet, was founded by a Swedish company in 1910.