The language of IKEA
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John Henley, writing in The Guardianon Monday, offers a linguistic analysis of IKEA’s furniture names, for those untrained in the Swedish tongue.
Kitchens are generally grammatical terms, and kitchen utensils are spices, herbs, fish, fruits, berries, or functional words such as Skarpt (it means sharp, and it’s a knife). Chairs and desks are Swedish men’s names (Roger, Joel); materials and curtains are women’s names. Children’s items are mammals, birds and adjectives (Ekorre is a set of children’s toy balls; it means squirrel).
But then you knew that already, didn’t you?
February 6th, 2008 at 12:49 pm
As IKEA becomes more international will it move away from this system? Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, and Finnish place names aren’t necessarily easy for people to pronounce. And while this system might make it easy for Swedes to remember, what about the rest of the world who lines up for hours sometimes days before the opening of a new IKEA?
February 6th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
Who cares? I think it’s good that they use Swedish names only.
The sofas usually have place names.
February 6th, 2008 at 7:41 pm
As someone learning Swedish, I think it adds fun to things that Swedish names are used. My other half and I are sitting on Ektorp sofas in Yorkshire right now, which is great as she grew up in Ektorp. It’s as though she has a little piece of home to sit on.
February 6th, 2008 at 8:02 pm
I like that they keep all the Swedish names, makes it feel more Swedish when you’re there (maybe even exotic). The guy on the radio ads here in Houston even speaks with a Swedish accent! It’s awesome!
Do I have to mention that they have a Swedish flag outside the store? =)
February 7th, 2008 at 12:06 pm
I quite like the Swedish names as well. But from a business standpoint I wonder if it is the best for IKEA. But it seems that quite a few people like it regardless. Just seems funny to me that the reason was to make it easier for people to remember but as you become more and more international those Swedish names that mean something to Swedes and Danes don’t mean quite as much to the rest of the world.
February 7th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
IKEA is a Swedish company,therefore makes sense to have Swedish names!
It’s also a very profitable one,so why change?
The rest of the world buys the products,so they learn too!
February 8th, 2008 at 3:28 pm
I’m italian and I love it when I enter the IKEA store in my city and read all those Swedish names instead of “chair” “sofa” “table” etc… I get the sensation I am in Sweden sometimes… and then I feel like a Swede for a while. Very very nice. :)
I don’t think it would be any better if they changed their way to name things. Possibly people would find it easier, but not Swedish anymore. And the main thing in IKEA is to be wonderfully tipically Swedish! ^^ Then what if they changed colours? Green and red instead of blue and yellow!? Would it be IKEA yet? I don’t think so…
February 8th, 2008 at 3:50 pm
Totally agree, keep it svensk, it is part of the charm, I love when we spanish speakers pronunciate those words with our latin accent. Its fun, and yes even when we forget them instantly, who really cares about remembering them? you just know you bought a damn good sofa with great design at an excellent price!
February 8th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
Very interesting reactions. Never realized how much IKEA relied on the Swedishness.
February 11th, 2008 at 6:55 pm
Actually, if I may have my say in this, I like the system very much and I’d like it to stay that way.
Not only do these names help you identify it (even globally, on a world-wide basis), IMHO, it is a nice thing to have such distinctive names. And while some of the names may be incomprehensible to some, the mysteriousness and the little challenge may eventually turn very positive. Having a bland-sounding name is often a advantage.
Regarding the waving flag, I consider that an outstanding idea!
Indeed, I concurr with the opinion that if IKEA changed its colours or any part of its identity, it would hurt it a lot, at least in my eyes.
While I realize that it may sound foolish, I must say that I like IKEA mainly because of its “Swedishness”.
Regarding the question of “local names”, I believe that only company names, brands and other often-used names that are likely to be used in slogans ought to conform to the phonetic rules of the local language.
February 12th, 2008 at 4:02 pm
Well…i just worked with the good people of Älmhult (the IKEA HQ) and ENGLISH is now the official language of communication. Doubt this will affect the naming conventions so you can call you bookcase a billy still but i would imagine you will soon see more international names.
February 14th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
I highly doubt they would ever move away from swedish names since being swedish is at the core of the IKEA brand. And if they did where would all the swedish ex-pats go when they are feeling homesick?
February 23rd, 2008 at 7:55 am
Exactly…. I live in a small city in the chinese countryside and when I feel homesick I take a trip Shanghai and visit IKEA and buy some things like a lamp or a chair and of course I visit the Swedish Food Shop and buy some candy and biscuits meatball etc etc…. IKEA is brilliant and naming the furniture after nordic names is excellent. I helping to put Sweden on the map as well as people can get a glimpse of our culture etc. And how would it be if we used english names for the furniture.. it would be so boring and the concept of would die out. English is already a language of the world but if every spoke english and no other language imagine how boring and monotanous it would be if it was like that…..
Anyway… Have a good mate’s
February 23rd, 2008 at 8:22 am
*Have a good one mate’s :P
February 26th, 2008 at 9:21 am
Hey…HairySwede…
Don’t WORRY about it! We non-Swedes LOVE going to IKEA and reading all the different names on products and trying to pronounce them! It’s fun! I certainly don’t want my local IKEA changing their products names after little towns in my part of the world. We get so little Swedish/Scandinavian influence here…the more the better I say!
And too bad Forsberg went back to Colorado….he should’ve gone to Vancouver to team up with Naslund Ohlund Edler and the Sedins..oh! and Sammi Salo from Finland too! GO TRE KRONER LINE! (Naslund Daniel and Henrik).
February 26th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
@ Mark – no worries at all, just very curious about it all.
And I’m pumped about Forsbergs return to Colorado. Now if he can only recapture those glory days when he was there the first time. Nothing better than seeing Forsberg in the Avs jersey.
Although it would have been a hell of a line in Vancouver…
March 5th, 2008 at 3:26 pm
Without the Swedish names, IKEA wouldn’t be very Swedish!
Here in Australia, it’s fun trying to hear other Aussies trying to pronounce the names in our plain broad accent!
Nothing like the Aussie accent wrapped around the name Älmhult!
April 13th, 2008 at 9:25 am
Mzungu Says:
February 7th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
IKEA is a Swedish company,therefore makes sense to have Swedish names!
It’s also a very profitable one,so why change?
The rest of the world buys the products,so they learn too!
I thought ikea had been sold to the dutch. That would make it a dutch company.