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Norwegian Proverbs
in English and Norwegian
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Introduction

The proverbs that follow are selected from some of the best Norwegian collections, listed below. Over half of them were collected by Ivar Aasen (1813-96) (below).
      The selection consists mostly of sensible pinpointings, and some of them may seem obvious if they are not given figurative meaning, which is a central part of the proverb tradition. We casually connect a proverb to a happening or occurrence, and as a result the proverb may take on new, interesting meanings, as the case may be.
      Some proverbs offer sensible hints and a bit of humour by scanty means, as in "The king has to sit on the same as us (his bottom). [Br 104]." The proverb may help under-dogs against unbecoming servility.
      The Norwegian of this collection is normalised, moderate New Norwegian, which is close to many dialects and first recordings of Norwegian proverbs, notably the collection by Ivar Aasen. For that reason, not a few of the proverbs in this collection are normalised retellings of the kind that is common for Norwegian proverb collections. Simple wording is preferred throughout.
      Proverbs I have changed, are marked with a star (*). Proverbial utterances I have added, are marked in the same way.
      The letters at the back of the proverbs refer to the collections below, and the numbers following the letters, refer to pages.
      It is my online collection of 3550 Norwegian essential proverbs, fragments, and adages (sayings) that I have started to translate here. I would appreciate suggestions for adding to or improving on the translations.
      Tormod Kinnes

THIS COLLECTION  

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      Ae: Holbæk, Bengt og Piø, Jørn: Allverdens ordsprog (Proverbs from all the World). Oslo; Schibsted, 1991.
      Bo: Evensberget, Snorre og Gundersen, Dag: Bevingede ord. (Winged Words) 2nd ed. Oslo: Kunnskapsforlaget, 1983.
      Br: Universitetsforlaget: Kort og godt. Utvalde ordtak til husbruk (In brief: Selected Proverbs for Home Use). ( Bergen: Universitetsforlage, 1978. — Frå Einar Seims 20 000 variantar av norske ordtak og hermer, eit oppkomme av livsvisdom og livserfaring til ettertanke.
      By: Bø, Olav, ed: Rim, gåter, ordtøke. (Rhymes, Puzzles, Proverbs) 3. utg. (Norsk folkediktiing 4) Oslo: Det Norske Samlaget, 1977.
      Go: Christiansen, Reidar: Gamle norske visdomsord. Norske ordspråk i utvalg. (Selected Old Norwegian Words of Wisdom) Oslo: Cappelen, 1992.
      Noo: Almenningen, Olaf, red. Norske ordtak. Nesodden: Frifant Forlag, 2005.
      Oa: Aasen, Ivar: Norske ordsprog. (Norwegian Proverbs) 3rd ed. Voss: Vestanbok, 1982.
      Or: Kragh, Ole: Alverdens ordsprog og talemåder. (Proverbs and Sayings from the Whole World) Copenhagen: Vendelkærs, 1979.
      Osl: Jensen, Brikt, red. Ordspråkleksikon (Proverb Dictionary). Tr. Gunnar Gjengset. Oslo: Schibsted, 1996. (Carsten Bregenhøj og Solveig Pått: Politikens Ordsprogleksikon.)
      Oy: Aasen, Ivar. Norske Ordsprog samlede og ordnede af I. Aasen. (Norwegian Proverbs Collected and Arranged by I. Aasen) 2nd ed. Christiania (Oslo): Mallings Boghandels Forlag, 1881.
     
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