I’ve mentioned before that for no reason I can remember, I started learning Danish some years ago. I started on Duolingo at a time when it was a very interesting and interactive site, with forums and chats, and moderators who were knowledgeable and lovely. It was wacky, a bit random, but really engaging, fun and i really got a handle on the language (well,, sort of) I loved it, and then what happened – it got taken over by some American set-up and you can guess the rest. It still limps on, but it is so poor, so stupid, I should find another site, but the ones I’ve tried are too regimented or a bit odd, so as I say, I just go round and round keeping in touch with the language until I can find something better,
One of the things which interested me was how many Danish words still linger on in various dialect words in parts of England, and how I can sometimes guess a “new” word because it’s similar to an English one. I had a little exchange with a danish speaking person last night, unfortunately, I’ve now lost him for the moment, but here it is:
Me: I just had this sentence: “Jeg er faret vild” meaning “I’m lost” – does it literally mean “in danger of the wild?” If so, I think that it’s a wonderful expression!
A: Sadly not that meaning. It’s more like “I’ve gone lost” with the verb being “fare“, which is something akin to “go” in its original meaning (still the default word in other Nordic languages for plain “go”).
Me: Like in farewell or how is he faring
A: Præcis
Me: thank you, that makes it very clear. Oh well, it was a lovely thought! 
A:: ‘Fare‘ meant travel in ancient Danish
Me: Ah, related to ‘fahren‘ in German?
A: Yes, in old English too, but I didn’t think of that at the time!
Me.: Thank you! We have it in farewell, and wayfarer of course.
