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Nynorn dialects

As pointed out on the introduction page, Nynorn is mostly based on Shetland Norn.  This does not mean though that the other dialects, such as West Norn (which differs from Shetland Norn mostly phonetically) and Orkney Norn are valued any less. If you are up to it, you can use those versions instead and on this page we give you a sketchy insight into what it could look like.

It should also be mentioned that the creation of 'Nynorn dialects' allows us to include those real features of Norn that we have rejected from the main 'dialect' (apart from eventual lexical distinction between Shetland and Orkney). As an example, we can take the case system. Nynorn has 4 cases, which seems to be present in the Shetlandic version of Lord's Prayer and the Ballad of Hildina. On the contrary, the only known specimen of Orkney Norn, the Orkney Lord's Prayer, shows a reduced number of cases, if any. Most probably, Orkney Norn had 2 cases, common and genitive, like f.ex. in English, Scots and Danish. Someone would even argue that a similar 2-case system, as presented in Orkney Norn, should be chosen for the 'default' (Shetland) Nynorn instead of the 4-case one. This view can be supported with plenty of evidence from the existing Shetland Norn texts (s. Grammar of Shetland Norn, A.1.1.1.4.), cf. also the mixing of nominative and accusative in the ballad of Hildina (the ballad also features sporadic vacillations between accusative and dative, accusative and genitive). As a compromise solution, we have chosen the 4-case system for Shetland and Foula/Westside Nynorn and the 2-case system for Orkney Nynorn. The same logic should apply for other dialectal features that cannot be included within the same reconstruction.

Below you will find a list of the main distinctive features of Nynorn dialects with a few 'live' examples (see General for more detailed information on the difference between the three 'real' dialects). This is just a rough sketch and at the moment we have no plans to further develop this section. Of course, if any of our readers come up with new ideas on this matter, we will not object in any respect.

Shetland Nynorn: ON ll,nn > llj,nnj, a > æ before llj,nnj, -in(n) > -en, -i(t),u > -i,u, ON hv > hv, 4 cases system;
West Nynorn: ON ll,nn > dl,dn, -in(n) > -in, -i(t),u > -e,o, ON hv > kv, á > wå, h- is dropped in pronouns, occasional postvocalic -g inserts, 4 cases system; several distinctions from Shetland Nynorn: Sh. er, eg, mukkið, lengi - W. jar, jag, megeð, linge;
Orkney Nynorn: ON ll,nn > ll (occasionally llj),nn, ON hv > v, partial preservation of diphtongs and the ON þ/ð (marked as þ to distinguish it from the silent ð), 2 cases system (common case and genitive), weak feminine nouns end at -o.

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