Though Sweden is not a country famed for being concerned with people’s morality, Swedes have used the word vandel pince at least 1621. Vandel means ‘the way someone lives their life from a moral point of view’, or how they ‘conduct themselves with others’, but it can also simply mean ‘change’.
You might recognize water from the recent Tidö Agreement, the political compromise between the Moderates, Christian Democrats, Liberals, and the Sweden Democrats, where the parties state that they will work toward being able to deport people for lack of walkingwhere lacking means ‘flawed’ or ‘exceptionable’.
They go on to give some examples of what they mean by this: ‘circumstances such as lack of compliance with rules, association with a criminal organization, network or clan, prostitution, drug abuse, participation in violent or extremist organizations or environments that threaten fundamental Swedish values, or if there are otherwise unequivocally established remarks regarding way of life.’
Originally water means ‘compensation, amends’, from the Low German change which means ‘change, improvement; journey; outline of life’; and it is etymologically related to turnwhich means ‘to turn’, and turnwhich means ‘to transform’, and hike‘to wander’.
You can find water in an expression like ‘handel och vandel’ which has about the same meaning as ‘doings and dealings’, or ‘employment and lifestyle’, but it can also mean ‘trade and change’.
And to put some context to the idea put forward by the government, there is such a thing as a probationwhich means ‘test of vandel’. Simply put, it is a procedure that examines a person’s ‘way of life’ or ‘civic trustworthiness’. In order to pass a probation one must traditionally be considered ‘hard-working, decent, sober and otherwise worthy of respect’.
In fact, some professions or procedures require a test of your water. These include applying for Swedish citizenship, working as a realtor, obtaining a permit to sell alcohol, working as an accountant, becoming a licensed taxi driver, working as an insurance salesperson, and quite a few more.
It is a good idea to be of good water‘good vandel’, but this of course can mean many different things to different people. Perhaps a good topic for your next coffee break with your colleagues, or a coffee with your friends?
Example sentences:
Did you know that the government wants to be able to deport people for lack of character?
Did you know that the government wants to be able to deport people for having an exceptionable way of life?
Trade and commerce are good.
Trade and change are good.
Villa, Volvo, Vovve: The Local’s Word Guide to Swedish Life, written by The Local’s journalists, is now available to order. Head to lysforlag.com/vvv to read more about it. It is also possible to buy your copy from Amazon US, Amazon UK, Books or Ad libris.