The New Nordic Lexicon

What lies behind the words ’flightshame’, ’the people’, ’MeToo’ and ’business vikings’ in a Nordic context? What do ’dugnad’, ’sisu’ and ’mys’ mean? And what relevance do they have in today’s society? The New Nordic Lexicon – written by researchers from across the Nordic countries and beyond – will answer these and other important questions about Nordic society, history and culture.

Clichés often dominate the rhetoric around the Nordic countries, and commercial and political branding can reduce ‘Norden’ to easily understandable messages. Peter Stadius, Research Director of the Centre for Nordic Studies in Helsinki, explains: ”What it means to be ’nordic’ is actually quite complex. It is easy to assume that we know what it means simply by virtue of living in the Nordics, but our experience is often limited to only one or two countries or regions. Our understanding of nordicity is also greatly influenced by how the surrounding world sees us. Research in the social sciences and humanities helps to unpick what 'nordic' means, providing a greater understanding of the Nordic countries and how we can solve societal challenges.”

The New Nordic Lexicon will bring experts from within the social sciences and humanities and students together in a research-based discussion about society. It will comprise of 50+ Nordic terms and concepts in English & a variety of Nordic languages. Students and researchers from across the Nordic countries will help to choose which terms and concepts will be included and their discussions will be shared also via films and podcasts. The lexicon will be launched in 2023.