# All Nordic languages: the word X



## Gavril

What is the preferred way of saying “the word [X]” in each of the Nordic languages? For ex., how would one translate the following?

_
The word ‘radar’ is an acronym._ 


Thanks


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## j0nas

Norwegian:
Ordet 'radar' er et akronym.


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## Alxmrphi

Icelandic (hopefully):
Orðið 'radar' er skammstafanaorð.


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## sindridah

the word "radar" is not an icelandic word , the icelandic word for it is "ratsjá"


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## Silver_Biscuit

sindridah said:


> the word "radar" is not an icelandic word , the icelandic word for it is "ratsjá"


 
Yes, but the sentence is about the English word 'radar'. Otherwise it wouldn't be an acronym. Anyway, the subject of the sentence is not really important. As long as the 'Orðið 'x'' bit is right. Is it?


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## sindridah

You have to excuse me , i'm not quite understanding this or following


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## Alxmrphi

sindridah said:


> You have to excuse me , i'm not quite understanding this or following


 
Hey Sindri, 
Imagine someone was learning English and they asked you in Icelandic what the English word _radar_ meant... 

Sindri, hvað þýðir enska orðið _radar_?
Orðið _radar_ er skammstafanaorð og þýðir _Radio Detection and Ranging_.

Does that make sense? It's the English word being talked about in all Nordic languages, the actual word itself would always be 'radar' and wouldn't change.
Is my Icelandic correct? I hope it makes sense.


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## sakvaka

Swedish: Ordet "radar" är en akronym för _Radio Detection and Ranging_.


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## sindridah

Alxmrphi said:


> Hey Sindri,
> Imagine someone was learning English and they asked you in Icelandic what the English word _radar_ meant...
> 
> Sindri, hvað þýðir enska orðið _radar_?
> Orðið _radar_ er skammstafanaorð og þýðir _Radio Detection and Ranging_.
> 
> Does that make sense? It's the English word being talked about in all Nordic languages, the actual word itself would always be 'radar' and wouldn't change.
> Is my Icelandic correct? I hope it makes sense.



ahh ok , now i understand  , and yes your icelandic did make sense alltough there was a slight grammar error but that doesn't matter  thanks for the explaination


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## Alxmrphi

sindridah said:


> ahh ok , now i understand  , and yes your icelandic did make sense alltough there was a slight grammar error but that doesn't matter  thanks for the explaination


 
Where was the error? (Errors help me learn )


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## sindridah

upz i apalogize , i had to look it actually  there wasn't any grammar error , skammstafanaorð is correct , the word "skammstöfun" did confuse me in that one   , i thought it was skammstöfunarorð , but skammstafanaorð is correct  , i'm having trouble in my own language hehe


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## Gavril

Thanks for the responses. One more question: can you reverse the order of the words (thus _'radar'-ordet, 'radar'-orðið_ etc.) and retain the same meaning?

Thanks


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## mnl

In Danish it is:

Ordet 'radar' er et akronym.



Gavril said:


> Thanks for the responses. One more question: can you reverse the order of the words (thus _'radar'-ordet, 'radar'-orðið_ etc.) and retain the same meaning?


Not in Danish, it would sound wrong. Further, I would interpret this particular expression as describing a word that works like a radar: If you pronounce it, it will bounce back from the nearest object, and you can tell the distance. Or something like that.


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## Klatremus

Gavril said:


> Thanks for the responses. One more question: can you reverse the order of the words (thus _'radar'-ordet, 'radar'-orðið_ etc.) and retain the same meaning?
> 
> Thanks


 
Not in Norwegian either.


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## Lars H

Gavril said:


> Thanks for the responses. One more question: can you reverse the order of the words (thus _'radar'-ordet, 'radar'-orðið_ etc.) and retain the same meaning?
> 
> Thanks



As in Danish and Norwegian, it does not work in Swedish either


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## Gavril

So, we have a "no" for Danish, Norwegian and Swedish. What about Icelandic: is _'radar'-orðið _interchangeable with _orðið __'radar'_, or do the two have different meanings?

Thanks


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