Have you ever wondered how much of a language is actually its own? If you live in Sweden, you may have noticed that English words are increasingly taking up more space in the Swedish language. Even if you live elsewhere, you may have noticed this same phenomenon happening in your language, too.
In this blog post, I am going to take a closer look at the phenomenon of foreign loan words being used in another language, and the politics and discourses that follow with this kind of a development. In particular, I’m going to be looking at my own native language, Swedish, and how English, that ever-present lingua franca of the internet age, is increasingly making inroads into every corner of our daily lives.
A historical perspective
Let’s take a quick trip back in time. Many of the words we use every day in Swedish come from ancient Greek and Latin. Words like biologi (biology), skola (school), familj (family), and skriva (write) have all been borrowed from these classic tongues and integrated into Swedish.
Fast forward to the 16th and 17th centuries, and suddenly it’s German that is exerting a considerable influence, mostly as a result of trade links in the Hansa period. Terms related to counting, freight, beauty and telling the time all seep their way into Swedish by way of German. Even the grammar is influenced to a certain extent.
In the 18th century, meanwhile, French becomes the trendsetter. Swedish starts borrowing words like paraply (which basically combines the French words for stop and rain) and trottoar (pavement), and it is not uncommon in this period to hear a mix of French and Swedish in spoken conversations. Sounds familiar, right? The position of French in this time period is much like the role played by English today.
However, it isn’t until the 19th century that English begins to make its mark, driven by the industrial revolution and cultural influences from the USA, which arrive through letters sent back home by emigrants and in the form of American films and TV.
But does English have the same impact as German or French once did?
Will Swedish be pushed out of the classroom?
Today, English has a pervasive presence in the Swedish education system. Many textbooks and scientific articles are written in English, even though they’re intended from the outset to be used in Swedish schools and universities. The reason for this is that researchers want to reach as wide an audience as possible, and English lets them do this.
But could it be that Swedish students risk losing the ability to express themselves fluently and naturally in their native language? This shift might be giving them an edge internationally, but it may also be watering down their grasp of Swedish, especially within academic and scientific arenas. Many see this as a concern, and it has become a topic of great debate in Sweden recently.
English job titles and hybrid expressions
Step into any Swedish workplace, and you’ll likely encounter a word salad of English job titles and descriptions. Positions like Business Analyst, Community Health Specialist, and Talent Acquisition Manager are becoming the norm. Even job ads on the website of the Swedish Public Employment Service are littered with English terms, or a mix of the two languages.
How about Chef Financial Control & Services? To a speaker of English with no knowledge of Swedish, this may look like a typo – either that or an odd combination of cooking and calculating. Chef in Swedish means Manager, so what we actually have here is a confusing job title that tries to thread both languages together.
And then there’s those quirky hybrid words and expressions that Swedes love to use. Ever been to an “AW” (after work)? It’s a popular term in Sweden, but virtually unknown in English-speaking countries, where they simply go and grab a beer.
Concerns about the future of Swedish
Older generations often worry about the dominance of English in Swedish. They fear it might overshadow the native language. But researchers argue that this evolution is necessary in order to keep the language vibrant and alive. After all, we’ve been borrowing words for centuries. Why stop now?
Moreover, Sweden is one of few countries that has a Language Act which firmly establishes Swedish as the main language. This provides some reassurance for those who worry our linguistic heritage will be lost. In fact, many researchers believe that English loanwords actually enrich Swedish rather than threaten it.
What about translations?
In Sweden, you will hear many people professing to prefer reading books in the original language so that they can fully appreciate the author’s voice and style. But we often forget that there is so much more that is transferred when reading besides the pure meaning of the words.
The average novel contains an endless flow of cultural references and idioms that might be misunderstood when reading the original directly. For example, what if the author makes a reference to a popular show that many of the native readership will remember from their childhood? It takes a well-researched and carefully crafted translation to succinctly and successfully convey everything that such a reference might conjure up. Without understanding those kinds of small nuances, many readers miss out on the full experience.
So, what do you think? Is the influence of English a boon or a bane for the Swedish language, and all the others that are battling with this same issue? As we navigate this linguistic blend, it’s clear that our language, much like our culture, is ever evolving. And perhaps that’s the beauty of it.