# Norwegian: dønn



## littlepond

Hei alle! In the web (also TV?) series Blank, in a text exchange message, a guy is writing on his girlfriend's phone, with the recipient thinking that she's talking to the girl, not the guy. When the recipient realises that it's the guy, she says, "Dønn jeg anmelder deg for identitetstyveri".

I guess it means that she says, jokingly, "I am reporting you for identity theft", but what does "Dønn" mean? My dictionary gives the meaning of "rumble, boom", which does not seem to fit here.

Thanks in advance!


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## raumar

"Dønn" has two meanings in Norwegian, see Bokmålsordboka: 
Bokmålsordboka | Nynorskordboka

"Dønn" as "rumble" is a rather unusual word. The second meaning is more often used: it is an intensifier, meaning "totally, completely". "Dønn" as an intensifier usually comes before an adjective, as in the dictionary example "_det er dønn umulig_". 

I have never seen it in the beginning of a sentence before, so I am not quite sure about this. But I guess that "dønn" also works as an intensifier here, but in an unusual way. Maybe it is some kind of youth slang.


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## littlepond

^ Thanks! The series subtitles translated the sentence beginning with "Dear", but maybe it was just an idiomatic, equivalent translation. Initially, I had thought if it means "damn", but then the hardback dictionary I have gave only the meaning of "rumble".


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## raumar

This sentence is difficult to understand also for native speakers, but I don't see how "Dear" could fit in. I don't know much about English slang, but I believe something like "I will totally report you for identity thefth" could work as a translation. 

That is, if my interpretation is correct. I am not sure of that.


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## littlepond

I agree with you: that would have been a better English equivalent!


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## Svenke

It sounds strange to me, but I think it must an intensifier, as said above. It could be an abbreviation of _dønn sikker_ 'absolutely certain' (which is quite normal), so it could mean 'damn sure I'll report you ...'.


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## littlepond

^ Thanks a lot!


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## Einherje

I believe that what we have here is the English word done.

My daughter (20) agrees and she actually said: "Det er helt legit å bruke engelske ord."

I have not heard what the girl in the series says, since you have not specified exactly where it happens, but the word done makes sense.


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## raumar

I agree that English words can be mixed into Norwegian, but the problem in this case is that this seems to be a written text - a SMS - with the spelling "Dønn":
Trygt i fellesarealene | Blank - P3.no

In addition, I am not quite sure how "done" fits into this context.


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## Einherje

@raumar : Thanks for the link. I don't follow these series and everything around them so I just found a page with all the episodes when I googled, which I was not going to watch and maybe it would have been the wrong place anyway.

We have many new and old words where we have made the spelling more Norwegian. Like: pøbb, føkk, gimikk, sjåfør (from French)
Maybe you won't find them in a dictionary (yet) or their use may disappear.

I believe dønn is another word like this.

SMSes are by nature short and often have incomplete sentences and missing punctuation, so we have to add something in our minds when we read them. 

I read this as she is putting an end to the discussion:

(We're) done/dønn = (Vi er) ferdig (med saken)

And then the reaction to his actions: I'm reporting you for identity theft = Jeg anmelder deg for identitetstyveri


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## littlepond

Or maybe then it means "I am done with it, with the conversation", because the girl was thinking she was sms'ing with her friend, not the friend's boyfriend? It's still a strange thing to use, and why did the English subtitles put "dear" there? The English subtitling of the series is very good in general.


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## winenous

littlepond said:


> why did the English subtitles put "dear" there? The English subtitling of the series is very good in general.


I would guess the subtitler didn't understand either, and just picked an English work that seemed to fit. It has caused some puzzlement even here and I don't think subtitlers are given time to fret about things that are not critical to the plot.

I know you said the subtitles are good in general for this series, but when I watched English language films subtitled in Norwegian there were some horrible howlers, e.g. "Jeg fryser meg" for "I feel blue".


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## Einherje

littlepond said:


> It's still a strange thing to use.



No, not really. This is how Norwegian teenagers talk and text and this series is primarily for teenagers.


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## littlepond

Thanks, everyone! @Einherje, I meant that it seems strange to use "done" at the beginning of that sentence and at that point in the series, given the context.


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## woggle

It sounds like they were saying "I'm totes dobbing you in for ID theft" or something like that?


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## basslop

littlepond said:


> Hei alle! In the web (also TV?) series Blank, in a text exchange message, a guy is writing on his girlfriend's phone, with the recipient thinking that she's talking to the girl, not the guy. When the recipient realises that it's the guy, she says, "Dønn jeg anmelder deg for identitetstyveri".
> 
> I guess it means that she says, jokingly, "I am reporting you for identity theft", but what does "Dønn" mean? My dictionary gives the meaning of "rumble, boom", which does not seem to fit here.
> 
> Thanks in advance!



Are you sure you looked correctly in the dictionary? What I know is that the Norwegian word "d*r*ønn" means "rumble, boom" in English. My dictionary, Clue, confirms.


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## basslop

Hm ..... Norwegian teenagers using the English word "done" like this is new to me but makes sense in this case. It occurs to me that it is a long time since I was a teenager and spoke slang that the my parents' generation did not understand quite well.


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## littlepond

basslop said:


> Are you sure you looked correctly in the dictionary? What I know is that the Norwegian word "d*r*ønn" means "rumble, boom" in English. My dictionary, Clue, confirms.



Yes, I am sure and so is the dictionary; just check here.


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## basslop

littlepond said:


> Yes, I am sure and so is the dictionary; just check here.


Yes it is - and today, opposed to yesterday, I was composed enough to check in my dictionary, "dønn" from Norwegian to English and it says the same as yours . 

There are still things to pick up in in one's native language .


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## littlepond

basslop said:


> Yes it is - and today, opposed to yesterday, I was composed enough to check in my dictionary, "dønn" from Norwegian to English and it says the same as yours .



Anyway, your confusion is useful for me: probably a tip that "drønn" is more common than "dønn" for a hollow reverberation?


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