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| Russenorsk | |
|---|---|
| Russonorsk | |
| Region | Northern Norway |
| Era | 18th–19th centuries |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | None (mis) |
qcu | |
| Glottolog | russ1267 |
Russenorsk (Norwegian pronunciation: [ˈrʉ̂sːəˌnɔʂk]; Russian: руссено́рск, [rʊsʲɪˈnorsk]; English: Russo-Norwegian) is an extinct dual-source "restricted pidgin"[1] language formerly used in the Arctic, which combined elements of Russian and Norwegian. Russenorsk originated from Russian traders and Norwegian fishermen from Tromsø (northern Norway) and Kola (north-western Russia).[2] It was used extensively in Northern Norway for about 150 years in the Pomor trade. Russenorsk is important as a test case for theories concerning pidgin languages since it was used far away from most of the other documented pidgins of the world.
As is common in the development of pidgins and trade languages, the interaction of fishermen and traders with no common language necessitated the creation of some minimal form of communication. Like all pidgins, Russenorsk had a rudimentary grammar and a restricted vocabulary, mostly composed of words essential to Arctic fishing and trade (fish, weather, etc.); however, Russenorsk was used outside of fishing and trade context during the off-season as it was not uncommon for Russians to remain in Norway during the winter.[2]
- ^ Hasselmo, Nils (1983). ""Russenorsk — et pidginspråk i Norge. (Tromsø-studier i Språkvitenskap III.) Oslo: Novus, 1981. Pp. 164"". Language in Society. 12 (3): 405–410. doi:10.1017/S0047404500010125. S2CID 145283995.
- ^ a b Velupillai, Viveka (2015). "The verb phrase and prediction" In Pidgins, Creoles & Mixed Languages edited by Miriam Meyerhoff and Umberto Ansaldo. Amsterdam, Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company. pp. 388–431. ISBN 978-90-272-5271-5.