Russenorsk

1. Presentation for LING 455 prepared by: Jane Heinze Matthew Keeton Lysne Torgerson Russenorsk Pidgins migrate north in the summer…

2. Introduction • Location • Murmansk Russiato Tromsø Norway • Speakers • Norwegian and Russian Fishermen and Tradesmen • When • Mid 18th Century until closing of border following October Revolution of 1917 • Other Names • Moja po tvoja • Kakspreck

3. Classification • Dialect? • Norwegian (Kortlandt, 2000) • Pigeon? • Jargon

4. Classification • Dialect? • Norwegian (Kortlandt, 2000) • Pigeon? • Jargon? • Nautical? (Bakker, 1994)

5. Classification • Dialect? • Norwegian (Kortlandt, 2000) • Pigeon? • Jargon? • Nautical? (Bakker, 1994) • Stable? (Jahr, 2003)

6. Classification • Dialect? • Norwegian (Kortlandt, 2000) • Pigeon? • Jargon? • Nautical? (Bakker, 1994) • Stable? (Jahr, 2003) • Expanded? (Muehlhaeusler, 1997)

7. Classification • Dialect? • Norwegian (Kortlandt, 2000) • PIDGIN? • Jargon? • Nautical? (Bakker, 1994) • Stable? (Jahr, 2003) • Expanded? (Muehlhaeusler, 1997) • Creole? • Wouldn’t you like to know…

8. Characteristics - Pidgin Similarities Use of possessive for person, possession and demonstration (mojaR / tvojaR) (very) limited morphology / inflection No case (cf. Keeton, 2005?) verbal marker (-omS) No copula (Russian influence?) Universal preposition – po SVO word order (universal grammar or Norwegian influence?) Circumlocutions Differences Lexicon Socioculturally equal parents Genetically related parents Diglossia Limited domain (trade, fishing) Frequency of usage Summer months only TMA preverbal marker po- (Russian influence, cf. Jahr, 2003)

9. Lexicon • Input % Lexical Input by Parent Language

10. Lexicon • Input • Norwegian – 47%

11. Lexicon • Input • Norwegian – 47% • Russian – 39%

12. Lexicon • Input • Norwegian – 47% • Russian – 39% • Other – 14% • Dutch • English • Swedish • Low German • French • Sami • Finnish

13. Lexicon • Input • Norwegian – 47% • Russian – 39% • Other – 14% • Dutch • English • Swedish • Low German • French • Sami • Finnish • Limited usage • Seasonal - summer • Limited domain • Trade, fishing • Never expands • Russian goods = Russian word • Norwegian goods = Norwegian word • Diglossia

14. Phonology – Variation on a Theme Norwegian Russian *Norwegian Russenorsk* *Russian Russenorsk*

15. Phonology (cont’d) • Consonant Inventory Reduction • If a phoneme only exists in one parent language, it is usually not present in contact language or it is assimilated • [h]  [g] or [x] • [hav]N [gav]RN(sea) • [har]N,RN(N)  [xar]RN(R)(have) • [x]  [k] • [xl’p]R [klæba]RN(bread) • [muxa]R [mokka]RN(flour) • [] and [t]  [s] • [vr’o’]R  [vros]RN(you lie) • [prəaj]R [pros’aj]RN(farewell) • [ttr’]R [s’tiri]RN(R)(four) • [nitvo]R [niets’vo]RN(nothing, never mind) • Simplification of some vowel clusters • [mnogə]R  [mangəli]RN(much, a lot, many)

16. Morphology – Verbs • Verbal marker –om • Possible Influences • Russian 1pl. and “let’s” constructions • Norwegian/Swedish hortative (strong encouragement) • Russian and Norwegian inputs

17. Morphology – Verbs (cont’d) • BEHOLD THE POWER OF “PO” • Multifunctional and homophonous for both Russian and Norwegian • TMA Markers are usually indicative of creoles (the lack thereof is “considered one of the main characteristics for distinguishing a pidgin” (Jahr, 2003) • According to Jahr (2003), Russenorsk has TMA • Preverbal “po” as future tense marker • “mojaR po morradagN komN” (I’ll arrive tomorrow) • … as purposive modality • “davajR poproberomR” (Please, lets try) • “vœrsogoN liteE klœbaR po presentomE” (Please pass me some bread) • … as durative (imperfective) aspect • “jesE, po slipomN” (Yes, he is sleeping)

18. Morphology - Nouns • Nominal marker –a • (questionable) • Influence • Russian feminine and unstressed neuter endings? • Also, possessive adjective moja/tvoja use…only with feminine nouns • Not always used and used non-systematically

19. Syntax / Semantics • SVO word order • Negation • Different from Norwegian (post-verbal) and Russian (pre-verbal) • Generally second word in sentence • Uses both Norwegian “ikke” and Russian “njet” • Circumlocutions • “prinsipal po Kristos reisa” (The Captain died, lit: The Captain has gone to Christ) • “lille junka på kjerka vaskom” (The little boy was baptized, lit: Little boy at church wash[ed]) • “i kahyt vaskom” (paint, lit: in the cabin wash)

20. Classification • Still wondering? • Review • Dialect • Pidgin • Jargon • Nautical • Stabilized • Expanded • Creole • It is still uncertain under which of these categories to classify Russenorsk…

21. Classification • …But one thing IS for sure… • It’s a DEAD pidgin…

22. Bibliography • Broch, Ingvild and Ernst Jahr (1982). Russenorsk: The Russo-Norwegian Pidgin. New Findings. New York: Modern Language Association of America. • Jahr, Ernst (2003). “Short Note - The Emergence of a TMA Grammatical Device in a Stable Pidgin: The Russenorsk Preverbal ‘Po’ Construction.” Journal of Pidgins and Creoles. (18:1. 121-130). Amsterdam: John Benjamins B.V. • Jahr, Ernst and Ingvild Broch (Eds.) (1996). Language Contact in the Arctic: Northern Pidgins and Contact Languages. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. • Kortlandt, Frederick (2000). On Russenorsk. Linguistics and Language Behavior Abstracts. • Lunden, Siri Sverdrup (1978). Russenorsk Revisited. Meddelelser. Oslo: University of Oslo. • Peterson, Ronald E. (1980). “Russenorsk: A Little Known Aspect of Russian-Norwegian Relations.” Studies in Language: International Journal Sponsored by the Foundation ‘Foundations of Language.’ (249-56). New York: Modern Language Association of America.