That’s why Gro Harlem Brundtland Gro, Kåre Willoch became Kåre – NRK Oslo og Viken – Local News, TV and Radio

TV Serial “Magda”, Broadcast on NRK Television, according to the creators, is based on “truth, lies, and bad memory.” It is absolutely true that the political era depicted in the drama series was also a division in Norwegian language use.

In particular, how politicians spoke to each other and how community leaders were referred to by the people.

– It started with Gro and Kåre, who had some heated arguments in the 1980s. Before that, we never talked about Per, for example. Ivar says Borden or Prime Minister Borden.

Her surname is Utne, and she is an associate professor of Nordic linguistics and name research at the University of Bergen.

and Crowe and Corey – that is Harlem Brundtland and Willoch of the Labor Party and the Conservative Party respectively.

• Have your say below the topic: Is it okay to refer to people you don’t know by their first name?

Intimacy increased

“Magda” is about the intense power drama in the Labor Party in the 1970s and 80s. Personal conflicts led to major splits in the labor movement, meaning Crow suddenly became part of the political elite.

– She was first referred to by her first name, and when they had to compete against each other in debates they had to be equal, and they became Crow and Corey. It created a closeness for them, says Utne, and it made them feel like two of us.

The linguist believes that this is part of an international development, while the media has contributed to a personal focus on politicians.

– The media, in a sense, was parallel to how we all think. People were concerned about politicians’ personal lives and how they felt outside of work. It’s natural for that intimacy to emerge with first names.

The surname is taken after the first name

Until last autumn, Drammen was ruled by a first name. Now the mayor’s chain is worn by a surname. What happened? Hoyer and Kel Arne Hermannsen won the election ahead of Monika Myhrvold Berg.

– If Monica accepts Monica and doesn’t stand up against it, it should be fine. Utne says that if Hermanson has not expressed a strong desire to appear with his first name, the surname is more natural to him.

The media often refer to Erna and Jonas as Solberg and Kahr Stork, while Huitfeldt is rarely referred to as Anniken.

– Why are some people referred to by their first name only and others by their last name?

– It’s very difficult to answer, but I think you have to like it yourself. Maybe someone in the party machinery has given some thought to how to launch their candidates. It probably has something to do with what kind of style people have. The name researcher says that some people have a slightly funnier demeanor and a slightly more personal style, making it easier to use first names for them.

Many similar first names

– Use both first and last names often?

– People have very different opinions about this. The problem with using first names becomes ambiguous. There are many people with the same name and it is difficult to separate people.

The last four US presidents were Bush, Obama, Trump and Biden – not George, Barack, Donald and Joe. But if Hillary Clinton had won the 2016 election, she most likely would have been called Hillary.

She is often referred to by her first name in the campaign, which refers to her husband rather than her gender. Since Bill Clinton had previously been president, the first name became a necessary distinction.

Like Flo guys. After Jostin Flow broke down, there were brothers and cousins ​​who played in the elite series and the national team. Thus they became just Jostein, Torre Andre, Harvard and others.

• Have your say: Is it okay to refer to people you don’t know by their first name?