# Norwegian: Norway at top of prosperity index



## Grefsen

I'd like to translate the headline of the following article, but am not  sure what would be the best way to write "prosperity index" på  norsk:

Norway  at top of prosperity index

Her er  mitt forsøk:

Norge på toppen av  velstand indeks

På forhånd takk!


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## Tjahzi

Det låter bra, men jag tror att (även norskan) skriver ihop det, som "välståndsindex". Inte säker dock. Hoppas du förstår mitt första svar på svenska.


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## oskhen

Grefsen said:


> I'd like to translate the headline of the following article, but am not  sure what would be the best way to write "prosperity index" på  norsk:
> 
> Norway  at top of prosperity index
> 
> Her er  mitt forsøk:
> 
> Norge på toppen av  velstand indeks
> 
> På forhånd takk!



I think it works, but it's "velstandsindeks" - in one word (never split compound words in Norwegian!)


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## Klatremus

"Norge på toppen av velstandsindeks" works for me. 

But what about "levekårsindeks"? 
For some reason I have a feeling that these indexes are often/usually called "levekårsindeks"? Or maybe the two terms are interchangable, I don't know. Maybe someone else does?


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## basslop

I agree with Klatremus - levekårsindeks. I think *velstand* covers mainly the economics while *levekår* also includes the things that can not or is diifcult to measure in money.

And to be very prcesise, the definte article should be used here:
*Norge på toppen av levekårsindeksen*.


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## oskhen

basslop said:


> And to be very prcesise, the definte article should be used here:
> *Norge på toppen av levekårsindeksen*.



Only if this is the only index. I read it as if it was merely one index, and as such it should be written in indefinite form.

Besides: The English word is "prosperity". "Levekår" has a much broader meaning, doesn't it? At least some Norwegian sources I found used the word "velstand".


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## hanne

basslop said:


> And to be very prcesise, the definte article should be used here:
> *Norge på toppen av levekårsindeksen*.


That depends on the context - not if it's a translation of Grefsens original post.
With a definite article you imply that there's only one measurement of prosperity, that everyone agrees on. Without it, it's just one index of prosperity, that someone constructed, and there may be many other ways of making such an index.
[edit]argh, to slow...[/edit]


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## basslop

hanne said:


> That depends on the context - not if it's a translation of Grefsens original post.
> With a definite article you imply that there's only one measurement of prosperity, that everyone agrees on. Without it, it's just one index of prosperity, that someone constructed, and there may be many other ways of making such an index.
> [edit]argh, to slow...[/edit]



I agree that it's several measurements, but I think one cannot translate directly from English to Norwegian in this case. *Norge på toppen av/i levekårsindeks* just doesn't sound right. I would use: *Norge på toppen når det gjelder levekår*, *Norge på levekårstoppen*,* Norge har høyest levkårsindeks*, etc.


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## Pteppic

"Norge på toppen av levekårsindeks" sounds fine to me. This is headline language after all, where limiting the number of syllables is more important than grammar or syntax. There's currently a headline on vg.no that reads "Sp avslører hemmelig brev", which seems to me to have the same structure.


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## hanne

basslop said:


> I agree that it's several measurements, but I think one cannot translate directly from English to Norwegian in this case.


I think you can regarding the choice of definite/indefinite - which was all I meant to do.



basslop said:


> *Norge på toppen av/i levekårsindeks* just doesn't sound right.


It sounds just as right as "Norge på toppen av levekårsindeksen". I happen to agree about "på toppen av" (sounds like an Anglicism to me), but since none of you Norwegians had brought up _that_ issue, I thought I'd let it pass...


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## Mjull

Pteppic said:


> "Norge på toppen av levekårsindeks" sounds fine to me. This is headline language after all, where limiting the number of syllables is more important than grammar or syntax. There's currently a headline on vg.no that reads "Sp avslører hemmelig brev", which seems to me to have the same structure.



"Norge på toppen av levekårsindeks" works if the original sentence is "Norge (er) på toppen av *en* levekårsindeks.

"SP avslører (et) hemmelig brev"

So if what you want to say is "Norway (is) at top of (a) prosperity index" the headline is good, but I don't think you would find it in many newspapers.

"Norge på toppen av levekårsindeks*en*" = greater news! 

However, I would choose
*Norge topper levekårsindeksen*


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## Grefsen

Tusen takk for hjelpen alle sammen!  



Mjull said:


> "Norge på toppen av levekårsindeks" works if the original sentence is "Norge (er) på toppen av *en* levekårsindeks.
> 
> "SP avslører (et) hemmelig brev"
> 
> So if what you want to say is "Norway (is) at top of (a) prosperity index" the headline is good, but I don't think you would find it in many newspapers.
> 
> "Norge på toppen av levekårsindeks*en*" = greater news!
> 
> However, I would choose
> *Norge topper levekårsindeksen*


Takk for en god forslag og velkommen til nordiske språkforumet *Mjull*!


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## Mjull

Grefsen said:


> Tusen takk for hjelpen alle sammen!
> 
> Takk for en god forslag og velkommen til nordiske språkforumet *Mjull*!



Fint å kunne bidra med _et godt_ forslag, og takk for velkomsten til _det_ nordiske språkforumet!


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## Grefsen

Mjull said:


> Fint å kunne bidra med _et godt_ forslag, og takk for velkomsten til _det_ nordiske språkforumet!


Vær så god og takk for rettelsen.


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## Havfruen

Mjull said:


> Fint å kunne bidra med _et godt_ forslag, og takk for velkomsten til _det_ nordiske språkforumet!



Hvorfor ikke "det nordiske _språkforum"_??
Er det mulig?


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## Tazzler

Havfruen said:


> Hvorfor ikke "det nordiske _språkforum"_??
> Er det mulig?


 
It depends on what language you're speaking.  As I understand it, in Danish there is no postponed article when there's an adjective, but in Norwegian there is a postponed article even if there's an adjective:

Danish-det gule hus
Norwegian- det gule huset.


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## Havfruen

Yes, I know the rule for Danish as I learned that first. This thread is about Norwegian, so I was asking if the postponed article "et" was required or optional _når vi snakker det norske språk(et?)_


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## oskhen

Havfruen said:


> Yes, I know the rule for Danish as I learned that first. This thread is about Norwegian, so I was asking if the postponed article "et" was required or optional _når vi snakker det norske språk(et?)_



It's a quite old fashioned way of expressing things (because it's really Danish), but it shouldn't be wrong. I think it belongs more in certain specific phrases, though.


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## Havfruen

Takk, oskhen. It seems I've seen it both ways in Norwegian, but I couldn't say more. It's helpful to realize that it seems to be included more often than not as a broad generalization.


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