# Norwegian: unnalusker



## eva nicolae

_Alt jeg ville, var å være et skikkelig menneske. Et godt, ærlig og rett - skaffent menneske som så folk inn i øynene og som alle visste man kunne stole på.
Men slik var det ikke. Jeg var en unnalusker, og jeg hadde gjort forferdelige ting. Og nå hadde jeg lusket unna igjen._

What is the meaning of "unnalusker"?


----------



## Ben Jamin

You can infer the meaning from the word itself. It is composed of three elements: unna (away) luske (to sneak) and -r (a formant to make words describing a person, a doer of something). Unna-luske-r = one (that) sneaks out. You can make an infinite number of words using this method, but only few are actually being used.


----------



## eva nicolae

Thanks, Ben Jamin! I don't actually know Norwegian, I'm checking a translation through several others.


----------



## Ben Jamin

eva nicolae said:


> I don't actually know Norwegian, I'm checking a translation through several others.


So how do you manage to understand the rest of text?


----------



## eva nicolae

I read the translations, but where they do not concur or when I feel something fishy, I check the original. After going through the first volume of Min kamp, I've learned to recognize easily the corresponding Norwegian text, also because I had to check it often (the translation into my language is poor, so I have to correct it all the time). Maybe after 6 volumes I'll have already mastered some Norwegian!


----------



## raumar

Ben Jamin has already given a good explanation of this word. "Unnalusker" is not an existing word in Norwegian; the author (Knausgård again?) has created it himself. I can just add that "luske" is a negatively loaded word, so "unnalusker" also becomes a negative characterization. An "unnalusker" is someone who slinks away, instead of facing the situation. In other words, a kind of coward.

By the way, it should be "rettskaffent" instead of "rett - skaffent".


----------



## eva nicolae

Thanks, raumar! I probably copied a hyphenated rettskaffent.


----------



## Ben Jamin

eva nicolae said:


> I read the translations, but where they do not concur or when I feel something fishy, I check the original. After going through the first volume of Min kamp, I've learned to recognize easily the corresponding Norwegian text, also because I had to check it often (the translation into my language is poor, so I have to correct it all the time). Maybe after 6 volumes I'll have already mastered some Norwegian!


So, how was the word translated in the text you are actually reading?


----------



## eva nicolae

I think it was something like "false", "hypocrite", which is somewhat close, but not quite the same. The English translation had "sneaky" or something derived from it.


----------



## Ben Jamin

eva nicolae said:


> I think it was something like "false", "hypocrite", which is somewhat close, but not quite the same. The English translation had "sneaky" or something derived from it.


It seems that none of the translations is adequate. I understand the word _unnalusker _as "a person that quietly withdraws from the situation", that is something in the direction of "a social coward".


----------



## eva nicolae

Thank you, Ben Jamin!


----------



## NorwegianNYC

Well, it IS a word in Norwegian. Regardless of how it came about, or who used it first, it is a perfectly good word.


----------

