Stockholmska
Encyclopedia
Stockholmska is a group of dialect
s spoken in Stockholm
. An exact definition encompassing its peculiarities is hard to find, as a cosmopolitan culture and early adoption infers a great variety of international influences that are then spread to the rest of Sweden
. For instance, the thin L sound (as opposed to the thick L) came into Stockholmska from Germanic merchants, and later spread into common usage; the thick L it replaced is today considered dialectal.
The way the /ä:/ sound is pronounced is something people often associate with Stockholmska. The older generation of Stockholmers (born in the 1970s and earlier) pronounce /ä:/ as /e:/. The way to pronounce it is actually an adaptation by people moving into Stockholm imitating the /ie/ sound earlier used for /ä:/. Note, however, that short /ä/ merges with short /e/ for the majority of Swedish speakers and is not considered typical for speakers of Stockholmska. This dialectal trait is in decline and is being replaced by the open ä. Other extra open a sounds like in "stan" (the city) and an r sound close to the English r sound as well as a slightly nasal sound. In older stockholmian it was common to pronounce the ö sound as u, for instance saying "durr" (dörr), "bursen" (börsen) and so on.
Some word endings are typical of Stockholmska. When windmills were used they were given female names ending in -an. For instance a windmill owned by a Dutch (Holländare) would be called "Holländskan" (the Dutchwoman). The -an ending was later adopted for other places. For instance Kungsträdgården
became "kungsan," "biblioteket" (the library) became "bibblan" and so on. Another ending is -is from Latin. Examples include "medis" (Medborgarplatsen
), "rålis" (Rålambshovsparken
) and "fiskis" (Fisksätra
). Some of these words (such as "dagis" for "daghem" (kindergarten)) have spread into colloquial Swedish in general.
In southern Stockholm uses a special tone, soft r sounds and some specific slang words. Although the highly exaggerated use of slang as used on old movies probably never existed in reality.
Due to the concentration of many immigrants in the suburbs around Stockholm, many new foreign loanwords have become common especially among young people. Usually from Turkish
(like "para" = money) or Arabic
(like "yalla!" = hurry!). See Rinkeby Swedish
.
In the affluent areas of northern Stockholm there is a distinct dialect characterized by the pronunciation of the letter "i", with the tongue against the front teeth, so called Lidingö i or Viby i (after Viby
in Närke
). Such areas are Lidingö
, Danderyd and Täby
. It is believed the pronunciation was a result of wealthy persons going to Bohuslän
for the vacation and picked it up there. A similar sound can be found in the wealthier parts of Göteborg as well. In north-eastern Stockholm the sj sound also have a special pronunciation at the front of the mouth, similar to the one used in Kiruna
. As in "självfallet".
.
Dialect
The term dialect is used in two distinct ways, even by linguists. One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a characteristic of a particular group of the language's speakers. The term is applied most often to regional speech patterns, but a dialect may also be defined by other factors,...
s spoken in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
. An exact definition encompassing its peculiarities is hard to find, as a cosmopolitan culture and early adoption infers a great variety of international influences that are then spread to the rest of Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. For instance, the thin L sound (as opposed to the thick L) came into Stockholmska from Germanic merchants, and later spread into common usage; the thick L it replaced is today considered dialectal.
The way the /ä:/ sound is pronounced is something people often associate with Stockholmska. The older generation of Stockholmers (born in the 1970s and earlier) pronounce /ä:/ as /e:/. The way to pronounce it is actually an adaptation by people moving into Stockholm imitating the /ie/ sound earlier used for /ä:/. Note, however, that short /ä/ merges with short /e/ for the majority of Swedish speakers and is not considered typical for speakers of Stockholmska. This dialectal trait is in decline and is being replaced by the open ä. Other extra open a sounds like in "stan" (the city) and an r sound close to the English r sound as well as a slightly nasal sound. In older stockholmian it was common to pronounce the ö sound as u, for instance saying "durr" (dörr), "bursen" (börsen) and so on.
Some word endings are typical of Stockholmska. When windmills were used they were given female names ending in -an. For instance a windmill owned by a Dutch (Holländare) would be called "Holländskan" (the Dutchwoman). The -an ending was later adopted for other places. For instance Kungsträdgården
Kungsträdgården
Kungsträdgården is a park in central Stockholm, Sweden. It is colloquially known as Kungsan.The park's central location and its outdoor cafés makes it one of the most popular hangouts and meeting places in Stockholm. It also hosts open-air concerts and events in summer, while offering an ice...
became "kungsan," "biblioteket" (the library) became "bibblan" and so on. Another ending is -is from Latin. Examples include "medis" (Medborgarplatsen
Medborgarplatsen
Medborgarplatsen is one of the largest squares in Stockholm. It is located on Södermalm and is often colloquially referred to as "Medis". The square was once called Södra Bantorget , but was changed to Medborgarplatsen in 1940.The square is a common place for demonstrations...
), "rålis" (Rålambshovsparken
Rålambshovsparken
Rålambshovsparken is a big park in Kungsholmen, Stockholm.It is overpassed by a section of the bridge Västerbron.- See also :* Geography of Stockholm...
) and "fiskis" (Fisksätra
Fisksätra
Fisksätra is a locality situated in Nacka Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden with 6,864 inhabitants in 2005. Built in the 1970s, much of it as council housing, it has inhabitants from 70 different nationalities.- References :...
). Some of these words (such as "dagis" for "daghem" (kindergarten)) have spread into colloquial Swedish in general.
In southern Stockholm uses a special tone, soft r sounds and some specific slang words. Although the highly exaggerated use of slang as used on old movies probably never existed in reality.
Due to the concentration of many immigrants in the suburbs around Stockholm, many new foreign loanwords have become common especially among young people. Usually from Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
(like "para" = money) or Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
(like "yalla!" = hurry!). See Rinkeby Swedish
Rinkeby Swedish
Rinkeby Swedish is any of a number of varieties of Swedish spoken mainly in suburbs with a high proportion of immigrants and immigrant descendants, which emerged as a linguistic phenomenon in the 1980s. Rinkeby in Stockholm is one such suburb, but the term Rinkeby Swedish may sometimes be used for...
.
In the affluent areas of northern Stockholm there is a distinct dialect characterized by the pronunciation of the letter "i", with the tongue against the front teeth, so called Lidingö i or Viby i (after Viby
Viby
Viby may refer to:* Viby, Kristianstad, a village in Kristianstad Municipality, Sweden* Viby, Sollentuna, part of Sollentuna Municipality, Sweden* Viby, Närke, a village in Närke and parish of the diocese of Strängnäs, Sweden...
in Närke
Närke
' is a Swedish traditional province, or landskap, situated in Svealand in south central Sweden. It is bordered by Västmanland to the north, Södermanland to the east, Östergötland to the southeast, Västergötland to the southwest, and Värmland to the northwest...
). Such areas are Lidingö
Lidingö
Lidingö is an island in the inner Stockholm archipelago, located north east of central Stockholm, the capital of Sweden. It is also the seat of Lidingö Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden with 44,000 inhabitants in 2011....
, Danderyd and Täby
Täby
Täby is a trimunicipal locality and the seat of Täby Municipality in Stockholm County, Sweden, with 58,593 inhabitants in 2005. It is also partly located in Danderyd Municipality and Sollentuna Municipality...
. It is believed the pronunciation was a result of wealthy persons going to Bohuslän
Bohuslän
' is a Swedish traditional province, or landskap, situated in Götaland on the northernmost part of the country's west coast. It is bordered by Dalsland to the northeast, Västergötland to the southeast, the Skagerrak arm of the North Sea to the west, and the county of Østfold in Norway to the north...
for the vacation and picked it up there. A similar sound can be found in the wealthier parts of Göteborg as well. In north-eastern Stockholm the sj sound also have a special pronunciation at the front of the mouth, similar to the one used in Kiruna
Kiruna
Kiruna is the northernmost city in Sweden, situated in Lapland province, with 18,154 inhabitants in 2005. It is the seat of Kiruna Municipality Kiruna (Northern Sami: Giron, Finnish: Kiiruna) is the northernmost city in Sweden, situated in Lapland province, with 18,154 inhabitants in 2005. It is...
. As in "självfallet".
Stockholmska in popular culture
Stockholmska was used by the characters in the long running comic strip Biffen och BananenBiffen och Bananen
Biffen och Bananen was a comic strip by Rit-Ola , originally published in Folket i Bild in 1936, where it ran until 1978...
.