Development and Demise of Orkney Norn. A piece of Scandinavian Culture in Great Britain

Seminar Paper , 2005 , 8 Pages , Grade: 1,7

English Language and Literature Studies - Linguistics

The unofficial flag of the Orkney Islands arouses astonishment in the watcher and gives him an idea of how Orcadians feel – being a Scandinavian, and being British. The flag shows the red Norwegian cross on a yellow background, symbolizing the Scottish Royal flag (cf. Towrie 1996-2005: FAQ). Scandinavian culture and self-image still constitute a part of identity in parts of Scotland – especially in Shetland and Orkney, collectively named the Northern Islands. Here, this cultural background has over centuries found expression through a Scandinavian language, called Norn, Icelandic norœnna, the Norwegian language (Fenton 1997: 617).

This term paper is to document the historical and cultural circumstances in which a Scandinavian language could develop in Northern Scotland, its nature and prevalence during its era, and finally, its demise and the remains of Norn in today’s language in Orkney. The paper attaches importance to the fact that it is on the one hand power constellations and politics that produce linguistic changes such as the death of a language, but on the other hand also requires “the active participation of its former speakers” (Barrett 2003: 98). The paper almost exclusively focuses on the development on the Orkney Islands, taking into consideration that history as well as the language itself differs to some extent on the Shetland Islands.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• General Introduction
  • Introduction: The Nordic cross in Great Britain
  • General facts about Orkney
• History and language
  • Pre-Norse Orkney
  • The Pictish-Norse transition
  • The Vikings and their language
  • Norn
  • "Scottization" - the demise of Orkney Norn
• Language in Orkney today
  • The remnants of Norn
  • The Orcadian dialect
  • discussion/ outlook
• Bibliography

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This paper examines the historical and cultural circumstances surrounding the development of a Scandinavian language, Norn, in Northern Scotland, exploring its nature, prevalence, and eventual demise. It investigates the factors that led to the language's decline, acknowledging both the influence of power dynamics and politics as well as the active participation of former speakers. The paper primarily focuses on Orkney, recognizing that history and language differ slightly from Shetland.

• The history and cultural impact of Norse settlement in Orkney
• The development and characteristics of Norn, a Scandinavian language spoken in Orkney
• The process of "Scottization" and the decline of Norn
• The linguistic landscape of Orkney today, including remnants of Norn and the Orcadian dialect
• The role of both external forces and individual choices in language shift

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

• General Introduction: The introduction highlights the strong Scandinavian cultural identity in Orkney, particularly through the use of the Norse flag. It outlines the paper's scope, focusing on the historical development, nature, and eventual decline of Norn, a Scandinavian language spoken in the Northern Isles. The paper emphasizes the importance of both political factors and the active participation of speakers in language change.
• History and language: This section delves into the pre-Norse history of Orkney, including the Pictish presence. It then discusses the Viking settlement, the arrival of the Norse language, and the development of Norn. The section explores the factors contributing to Norn's survival, including the relative isolation of the islands and close ties to Norway. It concludes by examining the process of "Scottization" that led to the decline of Norn, highlighting the influence of Scottish culture, administration, and the church.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

The key themes and concepts explored in this paper include Norn, a Scandinavian language spoken in Orkney, its historical development, the influence of Norse settlement, the process of "Scottization", language shift, cultural identity, linguistic landscape, and the interaction between external forces and individual choices in language change.

• College: University of Potsdam (Philosophisches Institut)
• Course: Proseminar The demise of Celtic languages and rise
• Grade: 1,7
• Author: Lars Dittmer (Author)
• Publication Year: 2005
• Pages: 8
• Catalog Number: V49285
• ISBN (eBook): 9783638457712
• Language: English
• Tags: Development, Demise, Orkney, Norn, Scandinavian, Culture, Great, Britain, Proseminar, Celtic