The Norn Language of Orkney and Shetland

In the middle of the 9th century Vikings from Western Norway settled the Northern Isles of Orkney and Shetland, bringing their Old Norse language with them. While the other Norse settlers in the British Isles started speaking the language of the peoples around them, in the Isles the Old Norse language lingered and developed into Norn, surviving into the 19th Century.

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Music Used:
Living Voyage - Kevin MacLeod
Suonatore Di Liutto - Kevin MacLeod
Teller of Tales - Kevin MacLeod
Þonne Hēo Besīehþ on Mīnum Ēagan - Cefin Beorn
Easy Jam - Kevin MacLeod
Heroes - CO.AG:
Feral Dub - Kevin MacLeod
Drums of the Deep - Kevin MacLeod

#Vikings #Norn #Nynorn

[maryavatar]

Random Norn words do still crop up in the Orcadian dialect. I’m Orcadian, and when I moved to Edinburgh for university, a lot of the time people had problems understanding me. I didn’t have a thick accent, so I was confused as to why. I was using words I thought were just ordinary everyday English, but they weren’t.

[GeoRoze]

Hi! I’m an orcadian myself and can confirm most of this stuff! Nice to see someone investigating orcadians since we are fairly overlooked these days

[simunjorgensen]

I'm from the Faroe Islands, and I found it easier to read the Shetlandic norn than Orcadian norn and understood it better as well

[maritnordin]

As a Swede (with basic knowlegde of old dialects) I have no problem reading and understanding the Lords prayer in Orcadian Norn. When reading it out loud, it sounds like an old dialect with some random english words thrown in.

[Fraser-Gosden]

As a shetlander I find it interesting to see where our accent came from. But its interesting that dialects change across our islands, especially whalsay

[fletcherbullock]

“I would write this in old Norse but I am not
Jackson Crawford”

[LuvBorderCollies]

Like how you squeezed in the Dutch connection to play that awesome anthem. ;-)

[mazzdacon]

My ancestors came from Orkney to Australia in 1850. Thank you for the interesting video.

[woolyimage]

Perhaps it’s been mentioned elsewhere but Voar in Shetland dialect actually refers to springtime where all the preparations for farming planting etc take place. The word Voe means an inlet/ mini fjord or the equivalent of a sea loch in Scotland. I have heard that there was still someone in Foula who had some of the Norn until around the middle of the 20th Century. They passed on some songs or poems to a chap who I think is still alive today.

[darthguilder]

-Skyrim- Shetland belongs to the -Nords- Norns

[JacobOvergaardMadsen]

Thanks for your lecture at the Edinburgh Language Event. :-) I'll certainly follow your channel from now on.

[saftsuse]

Great! This was the one video I was hoping for. Thanks a lot, Hilbert :) You just made this Norwegian very happy.

[PeJota]

It's not a History With Hilbert episode without a reference to the Dutch.

[terjefevag]

Come back home, where you belong,
Faroe Islands, Orkney and Iceland.

Best Regards
Your Father
Norway

[Duececoupe]

Can't believe that I missed this one, only came across it thanks to your nynorn video, from the 26th!

Greetings from a Swede up in Glasgow! 🍻

[TheJazzax]

Hilbert is a beast with the content. Makes me want to cry almost. <3

[rateeightx]

Can You Do A A Video On The Welsh Settlements In Argentina?

[daithimcbuan]

You put Shetland in a cut-out! The Scottish Parliament made that illegal. Please expect the police to be breaking down your door any moment for hurting the feelings of Shetlanders! (and breaking Scottish law)

[barbaramcrobbie]

Voar actually means spring, as in spring time. A sheltered inlet is called a Voe.

[paulallen]

I love this channel! The focus on Germanic and Celtic history is why I subscribe