Nonsens avslöjar glädje och humor i språket

·30 min·3 clips

A professor reveals how childhood mispronunciations like 'börkse' for 'smörgås' become lasting family nonsense words.

The episode begins with an introduction to nonsense language, where host Emmy Rasper and guest Henrik Rosenqvist, a professor of Nordic languages, set the tone by discussing how playful language often emerges in family settings, such as childhood mispronunciations. Listener Arvid asks about phrases like 'hej och hå' and 'knep och knåp,' leading to an explanation of alliteration and the historical existence of words like 'knåp' and 'kim' in Swedish dictionaries. Next, Peter inquires about 'mums filibabba,' prompting an investigation into its first recorded use in 1934 and possible connections to Latin phrases like 'hokus pokus filiokus.' Listener Jonna Björkegren shares the expression 'huvudet upp och fötterna ner' as a humorous response to 'how are you,' illustrating how nonsense can convey social signals. Kalle Karlsson presents a family phrase 'knäckerek, kjollofes och en liten taps,' with Rosenqvist suggesting German influences for 'knäckerek' while other parts remain obscure. Hans raises concerns about forgotten proverbs, leading to a discussion on how societal changes render idioms like 'akta ögonen barn sa kärringen som fes i askan' nonsensical. Finally, Magnus and family debate the sizes in 'tripp, trapp, trull,' with Rosenqvist explaining its origins in a Low German game and typological interpretations of vowel sounds. Throughout, the hosts emphasize that nonsense language is a natural, entertaining aspect of communication, often rooted in historical or cultural contexts.

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