Language contacts between Pomors and Norwegians during expeditions to Svalbard in the second half of the 18th — first half of the 19th centuries

Abstract

Svalbard, despite its remoteness from the mainland and traditional routes of communication, is an Arctic territory that has been attracting the attention of various countries and peoples for several centuries. In the 18th — first half of the 19th century, the archipelago was actively developed by Pomors, engaged in mammal hunting there. In the 19th century, Norwegians revealed their economic interest in Svalbard. Historical studies have repeatedly examined the cases of contacts between Pomors and Norwegians during mammal hunting expeditions to Svalbard, but none of the authors have studied the language contacts between Pomors and Norwegians during the development of Svalbard. The authors used an interdisciplinary approach and analyzed documentary and literary sources to formulate a hypothesis about the practice of Pomor-Norwegian contacts, incl. those in Russenorsk. The study presents a new issue for scientific discussions by both historians and linguists, which can serve as a basis for the devel-opment of international cooperation between Norway and Russia.

Keywords

• development of svalbard
• mammal hunting
• pomor-norwegian trade
• pomоr-norwegian contacts
• russenorsk