According to the Danish Language Board, around 3,581 words were removed from the Danish Spelling Dictionary between 1986 and 2012.
The media industry magazine Journalisten published a list of the deleted words after Søren Espersen from the Danish People’s Party raised concerns about Minister of Culture Ane Halsboe-Jørgensen.
While it is common practice for the Danish Language Board to remove words that it deems to have fallen out of common use, Espersen – himself a trained journalist – is reportedly frustrated that so many Danish words have been removed.
“I just wonder why so many Danish words should be removed, and why the Danish Language Board should decide it,” said Espersen.
What do you call a combative guest?
Some examples include: ‘accoucheur’, which has been replaced by the more common ‘obstetrician’; ‘sybaristic’ means ‘lavish’; ‘plasterer’ means ‘comedian’; and ‘quarrel’ means ‘quarrelsome guest’.
For Espersen, it is a cultural and historical loss. “It’s not because there is a lack of space, because the dictionary has been digitized,” he argues.
Ritzau journalist and self-proclaimed ‘language nerd’ Ida Tophøj Buur agrees: “The extent of the deletions is a shame. The language will lose some nuances, and in the end it will make it more difficult for young Danes to read older texts. ”
You can see the full list of deleted words here.
Source: The Nordic Page