pronunciation of "kn" and "gn" in the middle of a word

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littlepond
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pronunciation of "kn" and "gn" in the middle of a word

Postby littlepond » 2017-06-28, 8:35

Hei everyone!

Listening to some dialogues from a textbook that teaches Norwegian, I was struck by the pronunciation of two words: "likner" (to resemble) and "Frognerparken".

About "likner": The word sounds, in the dialogues I have, something like "liNgner" (with the "Ng" sounding like the English "sing" a bit). I wonder what happened to the "k" sound, and also why the "N" bit before the "k"/"g"? Is there some kind of rule, or do I remember this seeming oddity as just an exception?

About "Frognerparken": The word comes up a lot in my dialogues, and every time it is being pronounced something like "FroNgnerparken". I wonder, again, where this "N" bit is coming from before the "g", when there is nothing in the spelling to indicate that? Also, doesn't "gn" behave like "ny" kind of sound, or like the ending of "rain"? But instead of something like "Frognyerparken", I am hearing "FroNgnerparken" (with the "Ng" sounding a bit like the English "sing").

Thanks a lot in advance!
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Astrum
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Re: pronunciation of "kn" and "gn" in the middle of a word

Postby Astrum » 2017-07-07, 10:14

littlepond wrote:I wonder what happened to the "k" sound

The alternative spelling of "likne" is "ligne", and most dialects tend to pronounce it as such.

littlepond wrote:, and also why the "N" bit before the "k"/"g"? Is there some kind of rule, or do I remember this seeming oddity as just an exception?

Yes, unless the word starts with "gn" (as in "gni", "gnage" and "gnu"), "gn" is usually pronounced as "ngn".

littlepond wrote:About "Frognerparken": The word comes up a lot in my dialogues, and every time it is being pronounced something like "FroNgnerparken". I wonder, again, where this "N" bit is coming from before the "g", when there is nothing in the spelling to indicate that? Also, doesn't "gn" behave like "ny" kind of sound, or like the ending of "rain"? But instead of something like "Frognyerparken", I am hearing "FroNgnerparken" (with the "Ng" sounding a bit like the English "sing").

In most dialects the "ng" in "Frognerparken" is pronounced as "ngn", i.e. the "ng" in "sing" + n.

littlepond
Posts:43
Joined:2016-01-31, 11:37

Re: pronunciation of "kn" and "gn" in the middle of a word

Postby littlepond » 2017-07-07, 19:16

Thanks so much once again, Astrum!
[flag=]hi[/flag] born in it, [flag=]en[/flag] first love, [flag=]fr[/flag] can discuss philosophy in it, [flag=]gu[/flag] can hear garba all night long, [flag=]it[/flag] can just about manage in it, [flag=]de[/flag] remnants of forgotten basics, [flag=]et[/flag] learning with zest, [flag=]sa[/flag] was in school and now want to re-learn, [flag=]no[/flag][flag=]sv[/flag][flag=]ja[/flag][flag=]ta[/flag] next on radar


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