The Danish Language

Danish is spoken by roughly 6 million people worldwide, the vast majority of which live in Denmark, where it is the official language. Danish is also an official language in Greenland and the Faeroe Islands, where there are significant numbers of speakers, and a recognized minority language in the Schleswig region of Germany near the border with Denmark.¹

The Danish Writing System
Translation into Danish
Danish Translators

Danish is closely related to Swedish and Norwegian, and in its written form is almost identical to Norwegian. However, all three languages are very different in the way that they pronounce common words. According to the Wikipedia, the close similarities between these languages have led some linguists to label them dialects of one single Scandinavian language.²

Since in the Middle Ages Danish has been subsequently influenced by Low German dialects, French and most recently English.³ Danish also has four main dialect groups which correspond to its largest islands/peninsulas: Sjællandsk (Central-Eastern Danish), Jysk (Western Danish), Bornholmsk (Eastern Danish), and Fynsk (Central Danish). The standard form of Danish taught in schools is called Rigsdansk.⁴

Below are some brief but important facts about the country of Danishland and its people.

For additional demographic information on Denmark and its people, please see the following link:

http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/da.html

For information on The Danish Writing System, please see our Quick Facts Library.

¹ "Danish language" Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danish_language#Distribution_.26_official_status
[Accessed December 2, 2004]

² "Danish language" Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danish_language#Classification
[Accessed December 2, 2004]

³ "Danish (Dansk)" Omniglot: A Guide to Writing Systems
http://www.omniglot.com/writing/danish.htm
[Accessed December 2, 2004]

⁴ Danish language" Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danish_language#Dialects
[Accessed December 2, 2004]

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