Editing Russenorsk

{{Short description|Extinct Russian–Norwegian pidgin}}
{{Infobox language
|name=Russenorsk
|altname=Russonorsk
|region=[[Northern Norway]]
|era=18th–19th centuries
|familycolor=Pidgin
|family=[[Russian language|Russian]]–[[Norwegian language|Norwegian]] pidgin
|iso3=none
|linglist=qcu
|glotto=russ1267
|glottorefname=Russenorsk
}}

'''Russenorsk'''  ({{IPA|no|ˈrʉ̂sːəˌnɔʂk}}; {{langx|ru|руссено́рск}}, {{IPA|ru|rʊsʲɪˈnorsk|}}; English: Russo-Norwegian) is an extinct dual-source "restricted [[pidgin]]"<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last=Hasselmo|first=Nils|date=1983|title="Russenorsk — et pidginspråk i Norge. (Tromsø-studier i Språkvitenskap III.) Oslo: Novus, 1981. Pp. 164"|journal=Language in Society|volume=12|issue=3|pages=405–410|doi=10.1017/S0047404500010125|s2cid=145283995 }}</ref> language formerly used in the [[Arctic]], which combined elements of [[Russian language|Russian]] and [[Norwegian language|Norwegian]]. Russenorsk originated from [[Pomor|Russian traders]] from [[Kola, Russia|Kola]] (north-western Russia) and Norwegian [[fisherman|fishermen]] from [[Tromsø (city)|Tromsø]] (northern [[Norway]]).<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Velupillai|first=Viveka|title="The verb phrase and prediction" In Pidgins, Creoles & Mixed Languages edited by Miriam Meyerhoff and Umberto Ansaldo.|publisher=John Benjamins Publishing Company.|year=2015|isbn=978-90-272-5271-5|location=Amsterdam, Philadelphia|pages=388–431}}</ref> 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 [[lingua franca|trade language]]s, 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 industry|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.<ref name=":0"/>

==History==
[[Barter]] existed between Russians and Norwegians for 150 years in [[Troms]] and [[Finnmark]] counties. This barter was supported by the Norwegian government, and King [[Christian VII]] conferred city status to several settlements, such as [[Tromsø (city)|Tromsø]], to facilitate it.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.worldportsource.com/ports/review/NOR_Port_of_Tromso_3186.php| title= Port of Tromso|access-date= 2014-11-08}}</ref> Norwegians mainly traded fish for flour and wheat from Russians. The trading went on throughout the sunny months of the year and was beneficial to both sides; Norwegians had access to cheap fish in the summer, whilst Russians had surplus [[wheat]].<ref name=Germanics>{{cite book |last1=Bandle |first1=Oskar |last2=Braunmüller |first2=Kurt |last3=Jahr |first3=Ernst Håkon |last4=Naumann |first4=Allan Karker Hans-Peter |last5=Teleman |first5=Ulf |date=2005 |title = The Nordic Languages: An International Handbook of the History of the North Germanic Languages |publisher= Walter de Gruyter GmbH |location=Berlin |page= 1538 |isbn=3-11-017149-X }}</ref> Traders came from the areas near [[Murmansk]] and the [[White Sea]], most often to the towns of [[Vardø (town)|Vardø]], [[Hammerfest (town)|Hammerfest]], and Tromsø, occasionally further south to the [[Lofoten islands]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|last=Jahr|first=Ernest Håkon|title=On the pidgin status of Russenorsk." In Language Contact in the Arctic: Northern Pidgins and Contact Languages edited by Ernest Håkon Jahr and Ingvild Broch.|publisher=De Gruyter Mouton.|year=1996|isbn=978-3-11-081330-2|location=Berlin, New York|pages=107–122}}</ref>{{r|Germanics}}<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.ub.uit.no/northernlights/eng/pomor.htm| title= Pomor trade| access-date= 2011-11-01}}</ref>

The earliest recorded instance of Russenorsk was in 1785.{{r|Russenorsk}} It is one of the most studied northern pidgins; many linguists, for example, [[Olaf Broch]], studied it. Unlike equatorial pidgins, it was formed from only two languages, Norwegian and Russian. Furthermore, these languages are not from the same branch of Indo-European languages. Also unlike equatorial pidgins, Russenorsk was formed from one social class.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.sprakrad.no/nb-no/Toppmeny/Publikasjoner/Spraaknytt/Arkivet/Eldre/Russenorsk/| title = Russenorsk| last1 = Broch| first1 = Ingvild| last2 = Jahr| first2 = Ernst Håkon| access-date = 2011-11-02| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110605232020/http://www.sprakrad.no/nb-no/Toppmeny/Publikasjoner/Spraaknytt/Arkivet/Eldre/Russenorsk/| archive-date = 2011-06-05}}</ref>

Until 1850, Russenorsk was socially acceptable for all social classes. In 1850, Russenorsk became more limited to Norwegian fishermen, whereas Norwegian traders learnt Russian through exposure in Archangelsk and Russian trade centers,<ref name=":1"/> often formally studying the language to the extent that they could communicate in rudimentary Russian.{{r|Germanics}} This increase in Russian study caused the devaluation of Russenorsk in terms of social status.<ref name=":2"/>

In 1917, [[Finnish Declaration of Independence|Finland's declaration of independence]] from Russia caused the Russian–Norwegian border to decrease significantly. In 1919, the border disappeared completely.<ref name=Russenorsk>{{cite web | url = http://faculty.washington.edu/wassink/2010%20sketches/Russenorsk.pdf| title = Russenorsk – A Language Sketch| access-date = 2011-11-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170108001735/http://faculty.washington.edu/wassink/2010%20sketches/Russenorsk.pdf|archive-date=2017-01-08}}</ref> Furthermore, the [[Soviet Union]] limited international contact significantly, decreasing the need for the common language between Norwegians and Russians. The last such Norwegian–Russian trade occurred in 1923.{{r|Russenorsk}}

==Phonology==
Russenorsk uses many of the phonemes common to both Norwegian and Russian, altering phonemes only used in one.{{r|Russenorsk}}{{r|Belikov}}<ref name=German>{{cite web| url = http://www.sub-arctic.ac.at/articles/russ.htm| title = Pidgin – Russisch – Am Beispiel von Russenorsk| access-date = 2011-11-01| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://archive.today/20121127194357/http://www.sub-arctic.ac.at/articles/russ.htm| archive-date = 2012-11-27}}</ref> Pronunciation depended on the language background of the speaker.<ref name=":1"/>
*{{IPA|/mn/}}, absent in Norwegian, became {{IPA|/n/}}: {{lang|ru|много ли}} ({{lang|ru-latn|mnogo li}}, 'how many?') → {{lang|crp|nogoli}}.
*{{IPA|/x/}}, absent in Norwegian, became {{IPA|/k/}}: {{lang|ru|хорошо}} ({{lang|ru-latn|khorosho}}, 'good') → {{lang|crp|korosho}}.
*{{IPA|/h/}}, absent in Russian, became {{IPA|/g/}}: {{lang|crp|hal}} ('half') → {{lang|crp|gal}}.
*final voiced consonants, absent in Russian, became unvoiced: {{lang|crp|gav}} ('sea') → {{lang|crp|gaf}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|+Consonants in Norwegian Russenorsk
|-
!
!colspan=2|[[Bilabial consonant|Labial]]
!colspan=2|[[Dental consonant|Dental]]/<br>[[Alveolar consonant|Alveolar]]
!colspan=2|[[Postalveolar consonant|Postalveolar]]
!colspan=2|[[Palatal consonant|Palatal]]
!colspan=2|[[Velar consonant|Velar]]
|-
![[Nasal stop|Nasal]]
|colspan=2|{{IPA|m}}
|colspan=2|{{IPA|n}}
|colspan=2|
|colspan=2|
|colspan=2|
|-
![[Stop consonant|Stop]]
|{{IPA|p}}
|{{IPA|b}}
|{{IPA|t}}
|{{IPA|d}}
|colspan=2|
|colspan=2|
|{{IPA|k}}
|{{IPA|ɡ}}
|-
![[Fricative consonant|Fricative]]
|colspan=2|{{IPA|f}}
|colspan=2|{{IPA|s}}
|colspan=2|{{IPA|ʂ}}
|colspan=2|ç
|colspan=2|
|-
![[Approximant consonant|Approximant]]
|colspan=2|ʋ
|colspan=2|{{IPA|l}}
|colspan=2|
|colspan=2|{{IPA|j}}
|colspan=2|
|-
![[Flap consonant|Flap]]
|colspan=2|
|colspan=2|{{IPA|ɾ}}
|colspan=2|
|colspan=2|
|colspan=2|
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|+Consonants in Russian Russenorsk
|-
!
! colspan="2" |[[Bilabial consonant|Labial]]
! colspan="2" |[[Dental consonant|Dental]]/<br>[[Alveolar consonant|Alveolar]]
![[Postalveolar consonant|Postalveolar]]
![[Palatal consonant|Palatal]]
! colspan="2" |[[Velar consonant|Velar]]
|-
![[Nasal stop|Nasal]]
| colspan="2" |{{IPA|m}}
| colspan="2" |{{IPA|n}}
|
|
| colspan="2" |
|-
![[Stop consonant|Stop]]
|{{IPA|p}}
|{{IPA|b}}
|{{IPA|t}}
|{{IPA|d}}
|
|
|{{IPA|k}}
|{{IPA|ɡ}}
|-
![[Affricate]]
| colspan="2" |
| colspan="2" |ts
|
|tɕ
| colspan="2" |
|-
![[Fricative consonant|Fricative]]
|f
|v
|s
|z
|{{IPA|ʂ}}
|
| colspan="2" |
|-
![[Approximant consonant|Approximant]]
| colspan="2" |
| colspan="2" |{{IPA|l}}
|
|{{IPA|j}}
| colspan="2" |
|-
![[Trill consonant|Trill]]
| colspan="2" |
| colspan="2" |
|r
|
| colspan="2" |
|}
More is known about the Norwegian variety of Russenorsk due to the fact that most of the texts in Russenorsk were written by Norwegians. In the few Russian records of the language, there are examples of both {{IPA|/z/}} and {{IPA|/ts/}} in the words {{lang|crp-cyrl|презентоме}} ({{lang|crp|prezentome}}, 'to give') and {{lang|crp-cyrl|принципал}} ({{lang|crp|printsipal}}, 'captain'), for which the Norwegians used {{IPA|/s/}}. The Russian affricate {{IPA|/tɕ/}} in words such as {{lang|crp-cyrl|чай}} ({{lang|crp|chaj}}, 'tea') was substituted by the Norwegians with the fricative {{IPA|/ç/}}.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
|+ Vowels
|-
! &nbsp; !! Front !! Central !! Back
|-
! Close
| {{IPA|i}} ||  || {{IPA|u}}
|-
! Mid
| {{IPA|e}} || {{IPA|ə}} || {{IPA|o}}
|-
! Open
|  || colspan=2|{{IPA|a}}
|}

==Vocabulary==
[[Text corpus|Corpora]] of Russenorsk consist of lists of individual words and phrases as well as records of dialogues compiled by linguists such as [[Just Knud Qvigstad]]. The corpora include c. 400 words, about half of which only appear once in the records (so-called [[hapax legomena]]);{{r|Germanics}}<ref>{{cite book |date = 1998| title = Atlas języków: Pochodzenie i rozwój języków świata|location=Poznań |publisher=Oficyna Wydawnicza Atena| page = 146| isbn = 83-85414-31-2}}</ref> therefore, the vocabulary contained only 150–200 core words.<ref name=":2"/>

The origin of its vocabulary is generally held to be approximately 40% Russian and 50% Norwegian, with the remaining 10% from [[Dutch language|Dutch]], [[Low German]], [[French language|French]], [[English language|English]], [[Sami languages|Sami]], and [[Swedish language|Swedish]]. {{r|Russenorsk}}<ref name=Russian>{{cite web | url = http://www.kolamap.ru/library/russenorsk.htm| title = Руссенорск| last1=Serk-Hansen |first1=Karoline| access-date = 2011-11-01}}</ref>

Many words in Russenorsk have a synonym from the other primary language.{{r|Belikov}}
*{{lang|crp-NO|Balduska}}, {{lang|crp-NO|kvejta}} (halibut)
*{{lang|crp-NO|Muzhik}}, {{lang|crp-NO|man}} (man)
*{{lang|crp-NO|Eta}}, {{lang|crp-NO|den}} (this)
*{{lang|crp-NO|Njet}}, {{lang|crp-NO|ikke}} (not)
Some words can be etymologically traced to both Norwegian and Russian, for example, {{lang|no|vin}} (Norwegian) and {{lang|ru|вино}} (Russian). Some words have an unclear etymology; for example, {{lang|crp-NO|tovara}} or {{lang|crp-NO|vara}} could have come from Russian, Swedish, or Finnish.{{r|Belikov}}

Some Russenorsk words survive in the dialect of [[Vardø Municipality|Vardø]]:{{r|Germanics}}
*{{lang|no|kralle}} (Russenorsk: {{lang|crp-NO|krallom}}, {{langx|ru|красть|krast'}}, 'to steal')
*{{lang|no|klæba}} ({{langx|ru|хлеб|khleb}}, 'bread')

==Grammar==
One of the characteristics differentiating the pidgin from [[jargon]] is its grammar; however, Russenorsk did not go through tertiary hybridization.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Velupillai|first=Viveka|title="Theories on the formation processes of pidgins" In Pidgins, Creoles & Mixed Languages edited by Miriam Meyerhoff and Umberto Ansaldo|publisher=John Benjamins Publishing Company|year=2015|isbn=978-90-272-5271-5|location=Amsterdam, Philadelphia|pages=132–169}}</ref>{{r|Germanics}} Russenorsk is mainly influenced by Norwegian grammar, leading some to conclude that it is a variant of Norwegian with some Russian influence.<ref name=Kortlandt>{{cite web | url = http://www.kortlandt.nl/publications/art197e.pdf| title = On Russenorsk| last1= Kortlandt | first1=Frederik| access-date = 2011-11-01}}</ref>

A lack of [[metalinguistic awareness]] amongst Russenorsk speakers may have led them to believe they were speaking the language of their interlocutor; that is, that Russians believed they were speaking Norwegian and vice versa.{{r|Kortlandt}}

There are no clear verb conjugations. The main indication of a verb is the suffix {{lang|crp|-om}}, for example, {{lang|crp|kapitan på kajuta slipom}} (the captain is asleep in his cabin). Nominative nouns usually end with {{lang|crp|-a}}.{{r|Kortlandt}} Conjunctions used to make compound sentences or dependent clauses are {{lang|crp|ja}}, {{lang|crp|i}}, and {{lang|crp|jes}}. {{lang|crp|Kak}} is used as an interrogative word. The general word order is [[Subject–verb–object|SVO]], with some alterations for questions and sentences with adverbs.<ref name=Belikov>{{cite web | url = http://www.philol.msu.ru/~otipl/new/main/articles/belikov/vib-russenorsk.doc| title = Some Fragments of Russenorsk Grammar| last1=Belikov |first1=Vladimir | access-date = 2011-11-01}}</ref>

{{lang|crp|På}} is used as the only preposition for the [[oblique case]]:{{r|Russenorsk}}
*For possession: {{lang|crp|klokka på ju}} ('your watch')
*For location: {{lang|crp|mala penge på lamma}} ('little money in the pocket'), and {{lang|crp|principal på sjib?}} ('Is the captain aboard the ship?')
*For temporal relation: {{lang|crp|på morradag}} ('tomorrow'), {{lang|crp|på gammel ras}} ('last year').
*For direction: {{lang|crp|moja tvoja på vater kasstom}} ('I will throw you in the water'), {{lang|crp|nogoli dag tvoja reisa på Arkangel otsuda?}} ('How many days did you travel from here [to get] to Arkhangelsk?'), {{lang|crp|på Arkangel reisom}} ('go to Arkhangelsk').

===Morphology===
Russenorsk does not have extensive morphology, but has some unique characteristics. The ending {{lang|mis|-om}} does not come from Russian nor Norwegian, but it may come from [[Solombala English]].{{r|Germanics}} The ending {{lang|mis|-mann}}, from Norwegian, is used to indicate nationality or profession, for example {{lang|crp|russmann}} ('Russian'), {{lang|crp|burmann}} ('Norwegian'), or {{lang|crp|kukmann}} ('trader'). Other morphological features are [[reduplication]], such as {{lang|crp|morra-morradag}} ('after tomorrow'), and [[Compound (linguistics)|compounding]], such as {{lang|crp|kua}} ('cow') and {{lang|crp|sjorta}} ('shirt') to {{lang|crp|kuasjorta}} ('cowhide').{{r|Russenorsk}}

===Syntax===
One characteristic syntactical attribute of Russenorsk is the tendency to move the verb to the final position when the sentence has adverbs. This is found in neither Russian nor Norwegian.{{r|Germanics}} Another is that the negator ({{lang|no|ikke}}, {{lang|ru-latn|njet}}) precedes the verb, but can be separated from the verb. This is unlike negation in either Russian or Norwegian, but it may have come from Finnish, in which this syntax was probable.{{r|Belikov}} Moreover, the use of barter-focused language established frequent use of interrogative speech in sentences.<ref name=":1"/>

==Examples==
<sup>{{sc|r}}</sup> marks Russian origin, <sup>{{sc|n}}</sup> marks Norwegian.

{| class=wikitable
|{{lang|crp|Moja}}||{{lang|crp|på}}||{{lang|crp|tvoja.}}
|-
|{{wikt-lang|ru|мой|моя́}}<sup>{{sc|r}}</sup>||{{wikt-lang|no|på}}<sup>{{sc|n}}</sup><br>{{wikt-lang|ru|по}}<sup>{{sc|r}}</sup>{{efn|{{IPA|/po/}} in both languages happens to mean 'in' when referring to speaking ''in'' a language, though they are pronounced slightly differently.}}||{{wikt-lang|ru|твой|твоя́}}<sup>{{sc|r}}</sup>
|-
|my||in||your
|-
|colspan="3"| 'I speak in your language.'
|}

{| class=wikitable
|{{lang|crp|Kak}}||{{lang|crp|sprek?}}||{{lang|crp|Moja}}||{{lang|crp|njet}}||{{lang|crp|forsto.}}
|-
|{{wikt-lang|ru|как}}<sup>{{sc|r}}</sup>||{{wikt-lang|no|språk}}<sup>{{sc|n}}</sup>||{{wikt-lang|ru|мой|моя́}}<sup>{{sc|r}}</sup>||{{wikt-lang|ru|нет}}<sup>{{sc|r}}</sup>||{{wikt-lang|no|forstå}}<sup>{{sc|n}}</sup>
|-
|how||speak?||my||no||understand
|-
|colspan="5"| 'What are you saying? I don't understand.'
|}

===Sentences===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
| {{lang|crp-NO|Moja på tvoja.}}||I'm talking in your language.
|-
| {{lang|crp-NO|Kak sprek? Moja njet forsto.}}||What are you talking about? I don't understand.
|-
| {{lang|crp-NO|å råbbåte}}||work
|-
| {{lang|crp-NO|kleba}}||bread
|-
| {{lang|crp-NO|Ju sprek på moja kantor kom}}||You said that you would come to my office.
|-
| {{lang|crp-NO|Tvoja fisk kopom?}}||Will you buy fish?
|-
| {{lang|crp-NO|Saika kopom i på Arkangelsk på gaf spaserom}}||I'll buy pollack and we'll swim in Arkhangelsk.
|-
| {{lang|crp-NO|Kak pris? Mangeli kosta?}}||What is the price? How much?
|-
| {{lang|crp-NO|Eta grot dyr. Værsegod, på minder prodaj!}}||It is very expensive. Please lower the price!
|}

== See also ==
* [[Languages of Svalbard]]
* [[Kola Norwegians]]
* [[Bjarmaland]]
* [[Pomors]]
* [[Kyakhta Russian–Chinese Pidgin]]
* [[Mednyj Aleut language]]

==Notes and references==

===Notes===
{{notelist}}

===References===
{{Reflist}}

=== Bibliography ===
*Broch, I. & Jahr, E. H. 1984. ''Russenorsk: Et pidginspråk i Norge'' (2. utgave), Oslo: Novus.
*Broch, I. & Jahr, E. H. 1984.  "Russenorsk: a new look at the Russo-Norwegian pidgin in northern Norway." In: P. Sture Ureland & I. Clarkson (eds.): Scandinavian Language Contacts, Cambridge: C.U.P., pp.&nbsp;21–65.
*Jahr, E. H. 1996. "On the pidgin status of Russenorsk", in: E. H. Jahr and I. Broch (eds.): Language contact in the Arctic: Northern pidgins and contact languages, Berlin-New York: Mouton de Gruyter, 107-122.
*Lunden, S. S. 1978. Tracing the ancestry of Russenorsk. ''Slavia Orientalis'' 27/2, 213–217.

{{Interlanguage varieties}}
{{Norwegian language}}
{{Russian language}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Extinct languages of Europe]]
[[Category:Norwegian language]]
[[Category:Russian-based pidgins and creoles]]
[[Category:Pomors]]
[[Category:Languages attested from the 18th century]]
[[Category:Languages extinct in the 19th century]]
[[Category:Barents Sea]]
[[Category:History of Finnmark]]
[[Category:History of Murmansk Oblast]]
[[Category:History of the Arctic]]
[[Category:Norway–Russia relations]]