Norsk Arnen

Norsk or Arnen (officially called Norsk Arnen) is the official indigeneous language of Arendaal (its other official language is English). It is spoken by the population of Arendaal, as well as by Aren communities living abroad, and is taught as a secondary language in many schools across Northern Europe and elsewhere. Along with other Nordic languages, Norsk Arnen is a descendant of Old Norse, the common language of the Viking peoples who originated from Arendaal and Scandinavia. Other languages spoken in Arendaal include French, German, Swedish, Sami and Dutch. Norsk and Sami are the two languages native to the country, the rest are spoken due to the country's close links to other Northern and Continental European countries throughout its history. The word Arnen literally means light, and so the name of Norsk Arnen means light of the north.

History of Norsk Arnen
Up to approximately 470 A.D the language of Arendaal was Old Norse, written in the form of runic letters between. The oldest written records of Arendaal date back to approximately 108 B.C. The era between this point and 470 CE has come to be known as "The Age of the Scribes", when the oral folk tales and sagas of Arendaal's past were written down on stone tables, leather, rune stones and parchment. This era instigated the development of the written Aren language, and laid the foundations for the country's high literacy rate and its ancient bards. Old Norse, the language of the Viking era began to evolve into Old Arnen between approximately 440 and 940 CE, before becoming the modern language of Arnen during the Renaissance. The language of Old Norse has, however, never disappeared completely. Old Arnen is closely related to its predecessor, and in turn, modern Norsk or Norsk Arnen, borrows a great deal from Old Arnen. Becase of their common ancestor of Old Norse, Norsk-Arnen speakers find it easy to learn other Scandinavian languages, such as Swedish.

Aren love of riddling phrases and schemes of rhyme yielded a rich poetic tradition, as tales of mythic events and heroic deeds as well as historical episodes were celebrated in Old Norse epic tales, particularly in the “Aren Sagas“. Soren Sylnarsson (470 CE) was the name of the writer whose historic works tell of Arendaal's early princes, chieftains and lesser kings, in more detail than ever before. He is credited as the author of the intricate collection of “Norskarnen Geschichten” (“Aren Sagas”), featuring over 300 separate tales. The stories included therein about these early times are mostly based on legends, shrouded in mystery and fable, yet they contain many key historic facts pertaining to social and political customs of the Aren dwellers of the time. One of the most prestigious university’s in present day Arendaal is Sylnarsson University Emyn Arnen, named for the famous author.

Key Words

 * Vilkommen … welcome
 * Hallo … Hello
 * vær så … bye
 * Gut morgen… Good morning
 * Guttag … Good day
 * Gut kväll… Good evening
 * Gut nacht... Good night
 * Ja… yes
 * Nein … no
 * Bitte … please
 * Takk … thank you
 * Tusen takk … Thank you very much
 * inna årsa … you’re welcome
 * Unsyulldig … excuse me
 * Berklager…Sorry
 * Ursäkta mir! … Forgive me
 * Inge orsak…It's all right
 * Nyheter … today
 * Nästa dag … next day
 * Nästa vecka … next week
 * Vor es? … where is it?
 * Vent litt … wait a moment
 * Je vil … I’d like…

Useful Phrases

 * Mitt navn es ... My name is ...
 * Va heter du?… What is your name?
 * Varsa å treffe dich … pleased to meet you
 * Hvorden var du dyet? … how are you today?
 * Ver, takk … Good, thank you
 * Kann du hielfe mir? … can you help me?
 * Snaekkvar du Engelska? … Do you speak English?
 * Berklager, jeg snaekkvar ikkje Norsk / Norsk Arnen … I'm sorry, I don't speak Norsk / Norsk Arnen
 * Je forstår ikkje … I don’t understand
 * Får jag me om ... Bitte? … Could I have..., please?
 * Var kann jag ane rufen? … Where can I make a phone call?
 * Var kann jag finne en taxi? … Where can I find a taxi?
 * Havst du Tine?... Do you have a light?
 * Rökning skyulden … No smoking (i.e.: Forbidden smoking)

National Anthem

 * Arendaal's National Anthem, dating from the 19th century is called "Av der Gladen" (Ode To Joy). The music was composed by Aren composer Ludwig van Beethoven. Below is the Norsk text of the anthem and an English translation.