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Old 03-27-2009, 09:43 PM
 
Location: West Coast of Europe
25,915 posts, read 24,577,314 times
Reputation: 9708

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Quote:
Originally Posted by XodoX View Post
I don't know if you have been to Germany or one of the Scandinavian countries, but I have of course. And I can tell you that there is a difference, and swedish/german are totally different languages.

Kind of assuming you are german ( nickname ). But then you should know better.
Of course they are different languages (just like Portuguese and Spanish), but still closely related as they are all Germanic languages of course.
Yes, I am German, and a linguist.
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Old 03-27-2009, 11:01 PM
 
Location: Bel Air, California
23,771 posts, read 28,858,887 times
Reputation: 37326
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ben Around View Post
Lots of Swedes in MN, but they are outnumbered by Germans on a statewide basis.
According to Wikipedia (yeah, yeah I know, but didn't find much else available), the top 5 ancestry goups that are claimed by Minnesotans:
German- 38%
Norwegian- 17%
Irish- 12%
Swedish- 10%
Tahitian- 6% (ok, I made that one up)

75% of Minnesotans claim ancestry from Western Europe.

Another site did point out that Minnesota has the largest number of people claiming Norwegian ancestry in the US and is 2nd to California in Swedes.

My dad was a German (Herman was his middle name) from Cleveland and my mom was a Swede from Western Minnesota.
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Old 03-28-2009, 01:25 PM
 
Location: Østenfor sol og vestenfor måne
17,919 posts, read 24,183,302 times
Reputation: 39021
I wish people would stop saying 'Scandinavia' like it is one country. It is three and should really be about 15. Not only is Norway nothing like Sweden, Østfold should be a different country from Vestfold. Vestfolders talk funny. Like they have a mouthful of potatoes. Maybe they could join Sweden.

;-)
;-)
;-)

But seriously, in a general linguistic and cultural sense, Scandinavia is 'Germanic' as are many other nations that are not "Germany" proper: Austria, much of Switzerland, The Netherlands, Flanders, even Britain and the U.S. are, in a broad sense, Germanic countries in that they have institutions, laws, traditions and practices invented by Germanic peoples and speak Germanic languages.

ABQConvict
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Old 03-29-2009, 08:04 AM
 
6,295 posts, read 11,002,670 times
Reputation: 3085
Actually, America is more like Germany, at least in areas where German descendants heavily populate a region than Sweden. Seriously.

Nordic and Germanic are two different cultures. My family is from Sweden, most still live there and I can assure you that we bear very little resemblance to the people in Germany, either culturally or spiritually. The languages are vaguely similar but the same can be said about Swedish and Norwegian as well. Germans are more gregarious while Swedes are quite reserved. The only people that seem to think Sweden is like Germany are either from Germany or are Americans of German ancestry.

I've known quite a few Germans over the years (born and raised in Germany and later moved to the USA) and I've yet to hear one of them claim that our countries are even similar. And back in the 1990's I had the opportunity to get to know several German medical students while they lived in Connecticut and I did not seem much of a resemblance with Swedes in terms of their culture or behavior. Trying to compare Sweden with Germany is like trying to compare Massachusetts with Georgia. It does not work.
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Old 03-29-2009, 11:09 AM
 
Location: Chicago - mudhole in the prairie...
1,624 posts, read 3,277,227 times
Reputation: 262
Quote:
Originally Posted by MattDen View Post
I dont know if Bismarck, ND which is probubly the largest overwhelmingly
germanic town in the nation is typical of germanic-ancestoried places
but I know Bismarck has a reputation of a very polite, very insular
and very reserved conservative catholic community.
Catholic? There were a German catholic and German protestant immigrations and these two groups were not really fond of each other which resulted, amongst the other factors, in Germans not being very well organized or visible compared to other ethnic groups. By the way, NYC has Steuben Parade. What about other locations? Any German heritage parades or events?
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Old 03-29-2009, 11:18 AM
 
Location: Chicago - mudhole in the prairie...
1,624 posts, read 3,277,227 times
Reputation: 262
Quote:
Originally Posted by Neuling View Post
Sorry, but I just don't believe you. I am convinced the problem lies with you. What more can I say?
Tell us where you met those "many" (how many?) Germans and under which circumstances. Were you a GI stationed in Germany?

I have seen Germans acting this way in France and Holland. As a matter of fact the always disciplined Germans once they leave Germany quickly change their attitudes. I also think there is still a lot of resentment towards Germans all around Europe, especially in the countries occupied during WWII and attitudes of German tourists do not help.

Last edited by dementor; 03-29-2009 at 11:31 AM..
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Old 03-29-2009, 11:21 AM
 
Location: Chicago - mudhole in the prairie...
1,624 posts, read 3,277,227 times
Reputation: 262
Quote:
Originally Posted by Neuling View Post
Oh yes, that is a region which France and Germany have fought over quite bitterly for centuries.
Is this where the local dialect is called Allemanisch? Form the perspective of linquistics Germany is very interesting as there are many local dialects, many so unique that not really understable for people from other areas of Germany. Especially northern dialects and Berliner. Thanks God for Hochdeutsch
This and catholic / protestant antagonism might have been the reasons why German immigrants never really organized themselves...
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Old 03-29-2009, 11:26 AM
 
Location: West Coast of Europe
25,915 posts, read 24,577,314 times
Reputation: 9708
Quote:
Originally Posted by WILWRadio View Post
Actually, America is more like Germany, at least in areas where German descendants heavily populate a region than Sweden. Seriously.

Nordic and Germanic are two different cultures. My family is from Sweden, most still live there and I can assure you that we bear very little resemblance to the people in Germany, either culturally or spiritually. The languages are vaguely similar but the same can be said about Swedish and Norwegian as well. Germans are more gregarious while Swedes are quite reserved. The only people that seem to think Sweden is like Germany are either from Germany or are Americans of German ancestry.

I've known quite a few Germans over the years (born and raised in Germany and later moved to the USA) and I've yet to hear one of them claim that our countries are even similar. And back in the 1990's I had the opportunity to get to know several German medical students while they lived in Connecticut and I did not seem much of a resemblance with Swedes in terms of their culture or behavior. Trying to compare Sweden with Germany is like trying to compare Massachusetts with Georgia. It does not work.
How do you compare any people to a people of 80+ million? Germans among themselves are very diverse, you will find anything from very reserved in some parts of northern Germany and Bavaria to very gregarious in the Rhineland. Every German region has its own mentality, just as someone said Scandinavian regions have. Thus your distinction between Germany on the one hand and Scandinavia on the other is not convincing. The transition between northern Germany, specifically Schleswig-Holstein, and Denmark is continuous. If it were not for the language you would hardly notice you are crossing a border. And people up there often speak both languages, anyway.
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Old 03-29-2009, 11:29 AM
 
Location: Chicago - mudhole in the prairie...
1,624 posts, read 3,277,227 times
Reputation: 262
Quote:
Originally Posted by XodoX View Post
Well, I am a german. I moved to the U.S. some years ago. Kinda funny to read what people think we are or what we are not - even though they haven't been to Europe

There is a huge difference between Scandinavians and Germans. I don't know what makes people think there's not.

And no, a german can not learn swedish or whatever in a few months That would be dutch.

Can anyone really learn Dutch? That's one language that was really scaring me. Those who heard Dutch know what I am talking about.
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Old 03-29-2009, 11:37 AM
 
2,744 posts, read 6,082,567 times
Reputation: 977
San Antonio has a strong German influence but I wouldn't say it's the prosperous city it is today just because of it. In the mid 1800's San Antonio was 1/3 German. King William of Prussia is of San Antonio's most beloved neighborhoods.

San Antonio has several German settled suburbs, New Braunfels, Boerne, Castroville, Seguin and neighboring towns of Fredericksburg and Kerrville. These German towns are all nice but nothing extrordinary or far superior.

The Spanish and the other confluence of ethnicities all made their contributions to the area.
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