Russenorsk

Russenorsk (Norwegian pronunciation: [ˈrʉ̂sːəˌnɔʂk]; Russian: руссено́рск, [rʊsʲɪˈnorsk]; English: Russo-Norwegian) is an extinct dual-source "restricted pidgin" language formerly used in the Arctic, which combined elements of Russian and Norwegian. Russenorsk originated from Russian traders from Kola (north-western Russia) and Norwegian fishermen from Tromsø (northern Norway). It was used extensively in Northern Norway for about 150 years in the Pomor trade. As is common in the development of pidgins and trade languages, the interaction of fishermen and traders with no common language necessitated the creation of some minimal form of communication. Like all pidgins, Russenorsk had a rudimentary grammar and a restricted vocabulary, mostly composed of words essential to Arctic fishing and trade (fish, weather, etc.); however, Russenorsk was used outside of fishing and trade context during the off-season as it was not uncommon for Russians to remain in Norway during the winter.