Norn, the Extinct Scandinavian Language of Scotland’s Northern Isles
Rob Watts of RobWords explored the history of Norn, an extinct Scandinavian language once spoken in the northern Scottish islands of Orkney and Shetland. Through research into medieval runic inscriptions, local dialects, and cultural remnants, Watts explained how the language persisted for centuries before being gradually displaced by Scots.
As recently as the 1800s, part of Britain was speaking a language descended from that of the Vikings. On the islands of Orkney and Shetland, Norn was spoken for almost a thousand years – so why did it disappear?
