Norn | |
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norn | |
Native to | Scotland |
Region | Northern Isles and Caithness |
Extinct | c.1850, with the death of Walter Sutherland |
Indo-European
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Early forms | |
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Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | nrn |
nrn | |
Glottolog | oldn1246 |
Linguasphere | 52-AAA-ac |
Norn is an extinct North Germanic language that was spoken in the Northern Isles (Orkney and Shetland) off the north coast of mainland Scotland and in Caithness in the far north of the Scottish mainland. After Orkney and Shetland were pledged to Scotland by Norway in 1468–69, it was gradually replaced by Scots. Norn is thought to have become extinct around 1850, after the death of Walter Sutherland, the language's last known speaker, though there are claims the language persisted as late as the 20th century.[1]