this post was submitted on 24 Sep 2023
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Spørgsmål og Svar

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Her kan du spørge andre brugere om lige hvad du vil. Intet spørgsmål er for småt og der findes ingen dumme spørgsmål.

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  1. Indlæg skal være reelle spørgsmål som er spurgt i god tro. Indlæg må ikke være brok skjult som et spørgsmål og spørgsmål må ligeledes ikke være ladede.

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Is the greeting "Dav" used very often?

In what kind of context is this an appropriate greeting?

Is it used more commonly in rural areas?

Tak!

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[–] HejMedDig 9 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Finally a context for a dad joke, I've had laying around! What's sitting on the bottom of a bucket going "dav dav dav"? A spandauer

Can't recall having heard "Dav" used as a greeting for ages. I'm 40+ and been living in Copenhagen most of my life. I've heard "Godaw" once in a blue moon, when talking to people from Jutland

[–] Bruce 5 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

I had a feeling "Dav" might have uncommon or limited usage. What's amazing is that the language program/book I'm starting (Get Started in Danish) has "Dav" as the second word they teach, with the definition "Hello/Hi" and no other context. 😬

Tak!

[–] Marand 4 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I live in Aalborg and often start with 'godaw' so guess I am a stereotype 😅

[–] HejMedDig 3 points 2 years ago

Godaw Godaw 🙂

[–] EvilCartyen 5 points 2 years ago (1 children)

We use 'dav' in my family and I sometimes use it outside of that context, but I don't think I ever hear other people use it.

[–] Bruce 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)
[–] TDCN 5 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I think a lot of people answering here have not been in Jylland since it's quite common in some areas and circles. I feel like I've heard it myself quite a lot, so much so I do it myself now even after I moved to kbh.2 years ago.

[–] Bruce 2 points 2 years ago

This is good to know. If I ever get to visit Danmark, I’ll be in Jylland most of the time (where min morfars family is from). Tak for the help!

[–] SorteKanin 4 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

I've heard people use it before but it's very rare. To the point where I'd say using it is more of a personal quirk rather than any group preference.

It's a casual greeting, usually only used among friends I'd say. It's a shortened version of "Goddag".

[–] Bruce 2 points 2 years ago
[–] VonReposti 3 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I think it might be more about the circles you're in. I personally haven't heard or used it while living in various places in Jutland, albeit urban areas.

[–] Bruce 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Might it be a greeting used by a certain generation or age group?

[–] VonReposti 3 points 2 years ago (1 children)

It may be used more often with rural people and/or 40+ but I don't have an anecdote to back it up. I'd probably wait til the rest of Feddit wakes up so you can get a bit more insight as I'm no expert.

[–] Bruce 2 points 2 years ago
[–] vldnl 3 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I've grown up in a rural area, and while I associate dav/davs with old farmers or workers, I rarely hear them use it nowadays.

I occasionally use "davs" semi-ironically but it is definitely not the most common greeting. It's probably not a greeting you should use the first time you meet someone, or at a job interview, but it is fine (albeit a bit atypical) for greeting friends. Hej or hey are more common, and as a bonus, also much easier to pronounce for the average English speaker.

[–] Bruce 2 points 2 years ago

Thank you for your help!

[–] Bruce 3 points 2 years ago (1 children)

It sounds like the usage of "Dav" in Danmark might be similar to the usage of "Howdy" here in the USA.

[–] SorteKanin 3 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Yea that seems an apt comparison, though howdy makes me think of cowboys :P

[–] Bruce 4 points 2 years ago

Yeah, I can see that since it’s illegal to say “Howdy” anywhere east of the Mississippi River or in a non-rural area. 😉