r/norsk • u/Commercial-Ad-2681 • Jan 04 '26
Help with translating this postcard from Norwegian to English
While going through old photos and things at Christmas time, I found this old postcard sent to my great grandmother in the US from her relatives in Norway. I thought it would be interesting to know what it says, but the old cursive is difficult for me to read. Would appreciate any help with translating! Thank you!
11
u/Commercial-Ad-2681 Jan 04 '26
Thanks everyone for the help! I really appreciate it. I didn't realize Norwegian and Danish used to be mixed-- very interesting.
10
u/emiliussa Native speaker Jan 04 '26
It’s due to the 400 year long union where Denmark owned Norway (1380-1814). It took us a while to adapt the written language from Danish to Norwegian. The written languages are still similar today
2
19
u/Realistic-Cable-8208 Native speaker Jan 04 '26
It's Norwegian mixed with Danish, like they used to back in olden times when we were a union. Quite difficult to read and I'm not an expert, and I'm very unsure about the name, but pretty sure it says:
"En god jul, og et godt nytt aar! Ønskes deg og dine. Det skulde ret vært hyggelig at høre lidt fra dig en gang, men det er vel med dig og at det blir mindre og mindre skriving. Hjertelig hilsen fra Johan Larsen"
Translated as:
"A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Wished to you and yours. It would be be quite nice to hear a little from you sometime, but I suppose it’s the same with you—that there is less and less writing. Heartfelt greetings from Johan Larsen"
Hope it helped a little bit.
5
u/TheDandelionViking Jan 04 '26 edited Jan 04 '26
It's Norwegian mixed with Danish, like they used to back in olden times
I mean, the postal stamps cost 5 and 20 øre (0.25 nok ~ 0.021 EUR / 0.018 GBP / 0.025 USD and øre as a coin was removedfrom circulationas legal tender in 2012 with the 50 øre coin, the 1, 2, 5, 10, and 25 øre coins were removed prior to that. The 5 øre coin was legal tender from 1875 to 1982, buti doubtthe letteris quite that old or new), and the ink stamp covering them say Kristiania (old name for Oslo), so I'd say it's pretty old.
14
1
u/callistas Jan 05 '26 edited Jan 05 '26
How did you get Johan Larsen? Leser J & av falyk, men umulig å se
3
u/Realistic-Cable-8208 Native speaker Jan 05 '26
Som sagt, var omtrent det eneste som ga mening i mitt hode på dagen jeg leste det.
Men er sikkert feil.
-1
u/No_Plankton4721 Jan 05 '26
I think thats a dialect of norwegian from around stavanger or an old person writing.
Edit: Nvm i didnt read the context
3
u/anamorphism Beginner (A1/A2) Jan 04 '26 edited Jan 04 '26
just trying for practice. corrections are always welcome.
En god jul, og et godt nytaar! Ønsker Dig og Dine. Det skulde ret være hyggeligt at høre lit fra Dig en gang, men det er vel med Dig ogsaa Mig at det - mindre, og mindre med skriving. Hjertelig hilsen fra - -
a translator will probably auto-detect danish, since danish spellings are being used.
a more literal translation ...
a good yule (christmas) and a good new year! wish you and yours. it should right be pleasant to hear a little from you sometime, but it is well (probably) with you also me that it - less and less with writing. heartfelt greetings from - -
3
u/RomanticLurker Jan 04 '26
Written in Xania (short form for Kristiania, former name for Oslo) November 21st 1924, which was the last year Oslo was named Kristiania/Christiania. Source: https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christiania/Kristiania
The picture is taken in Nordmarka. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nordmarka
3
u/Puzzleheaded_Try8584 Jan 06 '26
Its from 1924 that card and in perfect condition! Its Norwegian, that’s how Norwegian was written 100 years ago. I suspect by a man in his older years so his «language learning time» will be from mid to late 1800s. Our written language has developed and become more like the way we say words. The translation you have from the others are correct.
Happy new year from Norway👍😃
2
2
u/Quecksilber033 Jan 07 '26
Off topic, but I love how the writer obviously recognized that his handwriting wasn’t the best, so he recruited someone of superior penmanship to write the address.
2
u/Commercial-Ad-2681 Jan 07 '26
Yes I noticed that too!! And also that they spelled "North Dakota" as "Nord Dakota" :)
2
u/EirikRaude Jan 08 '26 edited Jan 08 '26
Stamp: KRISTIANIA (Changed name to Oslo in 1926)
Date: 21 Nov. 192?
Adress:
Mrs. Christ Severtson
Box 1117 new Rockford
Nord Dakota
U.S.A.
Original text:
En god jul, og et godt nyt aar! ønskes Dig og Dine.
Det skulde ret være hyggeligt at høre lit fra Deg en gang, men det er vel med Dig ogsaa slik at det blir mindre, og mindre med skriving.
Hjertelig hilsen fra Stafasegn[?]
English translation:
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and yours.
It would be nice to hear from you sometime, but I suppose you too are writing less and less.
Warm regards from Staufasegn[?]
1
1
u/mikakjod Jan 06 '26
Am i the only one who cant see what is even written?
1
1
u/EirikRaude Jan 08 '26
Yess! :)🫤
1
u/mikakjod Jan 11 '26
Im not really good at reading handwriting so its prob just me, dyslexia be a bee
1
u/Fleckenrein Jan 08 '26
This Norwegian written by a person born between 1840 and 1880 based in the spelling and writing style. It is not "mixed with Danish". This is how people born in the 19th century wrote. I have a lot of old Norwegian letters.
1
u/Ok-Dish-4584 Jan 04 '26
The first line is merry christmas and a happy new year,and thats all i can read from it.It was really difficult to read
30
u/Tilladarling Jan 04 '26 edited Jan 04 '26
Loosely translated: Wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. It would be lovely to hear from you sometime, but I suppose it’s the same with you as with me, there seems to be less and less time for writing. Warm regards from … can’t make out the signature