Let's not get caught up too much on semantics here, but it seems fairly obvious that both ancient sources and modern researchers conclude that the Germanic tribes of modern-day Denmark and those of modern Northern Germany were extremely similar; both areas are very clearly defined as part of "Germania" by the Romans, genetic samples are very similar and no historian ever identifies any HUGE cultural differences between the tribes that would eventually emigrate to Britain from this area (Jutes in Northern Jutland, Angles in the middle/south and Saxons in Northern Germany).
Fast forward a while, and the Saxons of Northern Germany have a very clearly "German" identity, and the remaining peoples of modern Denmark are very clearly considered "Scandinavian," closer to Swedes and Norwegians than neighboring Germans. Why was this the case? As far as I can tell, there is no clear natural barrier in this area that would separate "Germans" from "Danes" and allow for such a separate path of ethnogenesis. I have come across some things about the (ancient) "Danes" coming from the actual Scandinavian Peninsula itself and displacing the tribes that WERE in Jutland, but I have not found much more ... where were those tribes pushed to? Did they move into modern Germany?
Appreciate any answers from those who know better. This has always puzzled me why (specifically the Jutland portion of) Denmark developed closer cultural ties to Sweden than to Germany, when one would assume it was PART of whatever would become "Germany" from looking at a blank map without borders. Surprisingly little information available on this topic online, so again - thanks in advance!
Danish has the same throat R as Standard German, Dutch, and French, rather than the trilled R of classic Northern English, Swedish, or Norwegian [or Icelandic ftm].
That reveals a bit of a connection right there.
