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Norwegian Language

Norwegian (endonym: norsk) is a North Germanic language that forms part of the Indo-European language family. It is predominantly spoken in Norway, where it serves as the official language. This language shares a close relationship with Swedish and Danish, collectively forming a dialect continuum where these languages are largely mutually intelligible in their written forms. Norwegian, along with Swedish and Danish, is part of the Scandinavian languages, which also includes Faroese and Icelandic.

Historical and Linguistic Context

The linguistic landscape of Norway is deeply influenced by its history, particularly the period of Danish rule known as Denmark-Norway, which spanned from 1536 to 1814. This historical influence led to the formation of a mixed language known as Dano-Norwegian, which characterized the spoken language of the urban Norwegian upper class.

The Norwegian language conflict, or 'språkstriden', is a significant cultural and political issue in Norway, centering around the development and use of different written standards of Norwegian.

Written Standards

Norwegian has two official written forms: Bokmål and Nynorsk. Bokmål, which translates to 'book tongue', is more closely related to Danish and is widely used in urban areas. Meanwhile, Nynorsk, meaning 'modern' or 'new Norwegian', is based on rural dialects and was developed in the 19th century as part of a nationalistic movement to establish a distinct Norwegian language identity.

Dialects and Language Use

Norwegian is characterized by a wide variety of dialects, which can differ significantly from one region to another. Despite these differences, dialects are mutually intelligible to a large extent, though estimating the exact number of dialects is challenging. A modern trend in Norway is for people, especially the youth, to write in dialects for informal communication, such as text messaging and social media updates.

Norwegian Sign Language

Norwegian Sign Language, known as NSL, is the principal sign language used in Norway. It is distinct from the spoken language and represents an important aspect of the linguistic diversity within Norway.

Related Topics

This article provides a comprehensive overview of the Norwegian language, its historical context, linguistic features, and its role within the Nordic linguistic landscape.