Which has about 5 million speakers, mainly in Norway. Norwegian speakers are also found in Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Great Britain, Spain, Canada and the USA.
Early Norwegian literature - mainly poetry and historical prose - was written in the West Norwegian dialect, and its heyday dates back to the 9th-14th centuries. After that, Norway came under the rule of the Swedish, and then the Danish crown. The Norwegian language continued to be used in colloquial speech, but Danish became the language of business documentation, literature and higher education.
After Norway seceded from Denmark in 1814, it was used in schools until the 1830s, when a movement began to create a new national language. The rationale was that written Danish was so different from spoken Norwegian that it was difficult to learn, and the belief that every country should have its own language.
A significant debate erupted around which approach to use when creating a national language, resulting in two languages - Landsmal(lannsmål, national language), which is based on colloquial Norwegian and regional dialects (particularly West Norwegian dialects), and Riksmal(riksmol, national language), which was originally used in writing and is very similar to Danish.
Lannsmol renamed to Nynorsk(nyunoshk, new Norwegian) in 1929, and riksmol currently officially called Bokmal(bokmål, book speech). A small number of people over the age of 60 still use riksmol, which is considered an obsolete form Bokmola and has only minor differences.
Currently, in schools in Norway, both variants of the Norwegian language are required to be studied. Students study both options and can only designate the one that will be the main one for them. Civil servants are required to know both options.
For a short time, there was a movement in Norway to create a single literary language called Samnorsk(samnoshk, single Norwegian). Political figures were fascinated by the idea of creating a unified Norwegian language, while ordinary people considered it a waste of time. Project to create a unified Norwegian language Samnoshk was officially closed on January 1, 2002.
Norwegian alphabet (norsk alphabet)
| A a | Bb | c c | D d | e e | F f | G g | H h | I i | J j |
| a | be | se | de | e | eff | ge | ha | i | je/jadd |
| K k | l l | M m | N n | O o | Pp | Q q | R r | S s | T t |
| ke | ell | em | enn | o | pe | ku | ærr | ess | te |
| U u | Vv | Ww | X x | Y y | Zz | Æ æ | Ø ø | Å å | |
| u | ve | dåbbelt -ve |
ex | y | sett | æ | ø | å |
Listen to the Norwegian alphabet
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Phonetic transcription of the Norwegian language
Vowels and diphthongs
Consonants
Notes
- e = [ə] in unstressed syllables
- = [o] before two consonants and [u] before one consonant (with some exceptions)
- g = [j] before i and y, [g] anywhere else
- k = [ç] before i and y, [k] in any other position
- sk = [ʃ] before i and y
- In Western dialects, kj and tj = [ʧ]
- In southern dialects sj= and skj=
- Retroflexive sounds appear only in Eastern and Northern dialects, in other dialects rd = [ʀd], rl = [ʀl] and rn = [ʀn]
- In Eastern dialects, rd and l = [ɽ] at the end of a word and between vowels
- q, x, z and w appear exclusively in loanwords and names
- x = [s] at the beginning of a word and in any other position
Due to some geographical isolation of certain areas of Norway, there is considerable diversity in vocabulary, grammar and syntax among the dialects of Norwegian. For centuries, the written language of Norway was Danish. As a result, the development of modern Norwegian has been a controversial phenomenon, closely linked to nationalism, rural-urban discourse, and the literary history of Norway.
As established by law and government policy, there are now two "official" forms of Norwegian in the country: Bokmål (Norwegian bokmål "book speech") and baby girl (Norwegian nynorsk "new Norwegian").
The language issue in Norway is highly controversial. Although not directly related to the political situation, written Norwegian is often characterized as being on the "conservative-radical" spectrum. current forms Bokmola and nurse are considered moderate forms of the conservative and radical versions of written Norwegian, respectively.
An informal but widely used written form known as riksmol * ("sovereign speech"), is considered more conservative than Bokmål, and unofficial högnoshk ("high Norwegian") - more radical than baby girl. And although Norwegians can be educated in either of the two official languages, about 86-90% use Bokmål or riksmol as an everyday written language, and baby girl used by 10-12% of the population. In a wider perspective Bokmål and riksmol are more commonly used in urban and suburban areas, and nynoshk - in rural areas, in particular in Western Norway. The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) also broadcasts on bokmole, and on nurse; all government agencies are required to support both languages. Bokmål or riksmol are used in 92% of all printed publications, baby girl- in 8% (data for 2000). In general, a realistic assessment of the use baby girl is considered to be about 10-12% of the population, or slightly less than half a million people.
Despite fears that dialects of Norwegian would eventually give way to a common colloquial Norwegian close to Bokmola, dialects to this day find significant support in the regions, public opinion and popular politics.
Story
Main article: History of the Norwegian language
"State Norwegian" is regulated by the Norwegian Academy, which determines acceptable spelling, grammar and vocabulary.
"High Norwegian"
There is also an informal form of nyunoshka, called høgnorsk("High Norwegian"), which did not accept language reforms after
Norway, like any other state with ancient historical roots, has its own language. The history of the language spoken in Norway is as interesting as the history of this beautiful and unique country.
Official Norwegian
Norwegian is the official language in Norway. This version of the language belongs to the Germanic group. According to linguist research, Norwegian has the same origin as Icelandic. A separate branch of these languages is the Faroese dialect.
Today, Norwegian is placed in the mainland group of Scandinavian languages. Since it differs significantly from the insular linguistic variations.
In the development of the language in Norway, not only history, but also geography played a role. Some areas of the country are so territorially isolated from others that they have their own separate dialects.
Having been in Norway, you may encounter such a phenomenon as two recognized forms of the language:
- Bokmål (literary speech);
- And Nyunoshk (new colloquial language).
Both of these forms are used by the inhabitants of the northern state in everyday life.
In addition, Norwegians use another form of their language as a sovereign speech. This dialect is called "riksmol". Such a conservative version is full of officialdom and literary turns.
When studying Norwegian at school, you can choose two of the three dialects. So 90% of citizens study Bokmål and Rixmol, and only 10% prefer the nurse.
Nyunoshk is considered to be the prerogative of Western Norway. But the media and print media support all dialects. Rixmol is classified as an urban language, while Nynoshk is more used in rural areas.
Language origin
Thanks to the Vikings, who were engaged in robbery and trade, Scandinavian dialects were known throughout Europe. The common Old Norse language was common in Denmark, Norway and modern Sweden.
In 872, Norway went through the process of unification under King Harold the First. At that time, runes were used to designate in writing. The runic alphabet has been used on Scandinavian soil since the 3rd century.
With the advent of Christians, the Latin alphabet began to spread to these territories. Around 1030, Norwegian began to differ from the language of Denmark and Sweden due to Latin "blotches".
By 1397, Norway and Denmark entered into a union. Then the Danish version of the Scandinavian began to dominate the Norwegian state. Then Norway withdrew from this union, concluding a similar treaty with Sweden. After that, the nationalist movements began the struggle for independence. It was in the crucible of this struggle that the new Norwegian was born.
Finding your own language
In 1840, the process of "Norwegianization" of the Danish language began. But it was never completed. Since the independence fighter Ivar Osen conducted an independent development of written Norwegian.
Osen traveled around Norway, learning all possible dialects. The young researcher did not ignore the Icelandic language. The result of this work was the book "National Language".
In 1929, the Rixmol dialect was renamed Bokmål. Nyunoshk, on the other hand, was born out of Osen's language studies.
Further attempts to combine dialects into a single language failed due to opposition to these processes by speakers of language groups.
Swedes and Danish people understand Norwegian well. But they cannot communicate with each other. Therefore, Norwegian is considered an intermediate variant between Swedish and Danish.
Norway has a special council for languages. It is there that the rules of grammar and spelling are developed. But work in it is extremely slow due to the violent protests of various representatives of the dialects.
The first Norwegian dictionary was born under the light hand of the nobleman Bjelkes. He created the book in 1634. This treatise was written for Danish politicians who were to work in Norway.
The Norwegian language is a complex combination of Old Norse roots with Danish and Swedish influences. It is melodic and beautiful, concise and precise, which reflects the character of the Norwegians themselves. At the same time, modern Norwegian causes a lot of disputes and disagreements, which are trying to be resolved peacefully from year to year.
Germanic branch Scandinavian group Continental subgroupNorwegian(self-name - Norsk listen)) is a Germanic group language spoken in Norway. Historically, Norwegian is closest to Faroese and Icelandic. However, thanks to the significant influence of Danish and some influence of Swedish, Norwegian is generally close to these languages as well. A more modern classification places Norwegian, along with Danish and Swedish, in the group of mainland Scandinavian languages, in contrast to the insular Scandinavian languages.
Due to some geographical isolation of certain areas of Norway, there is considerable diversity in vocabulary, grammar and syntax among the dialects of Norwegian. For centuries, the written language of Norway was Danish. As a result, the development of modern Norwegian has been a controversial phenomenon, closely linked to nationalism, rural-urban discourse, and the literary history of Norway.
As established by law and government policy, there are now two "official" forms of Norwegian in the country - Bokmål (Norwegian"bokmel" - "book speech") and baby girl (Norwegian nynorsk- "new norwegian").
The language issue in Norway is highly controversial. Although not directly related to the political situation, written Norwegian is often characterized as being on the "conservative-radical" spectrum. The current forms of Bokmål and Nynoshka are considered moderate forms of the conservative and radical versions of written Norwegian, respectively.
An informal but widely used written form known as riksmol ( "riksmal"- “sovereign speech”), is considered more conservative than Bokmål, and the unofficial högnoshk ( høgnorsk- "high Norwegian") - more conservative than nyunoshk. Although Norwegians can be educated in either of the two official languages, about 86-90% use Bokmål or Rixmol as their daily written language, and Nynoshk is used by 10-12% of the population. From a broader perspective, Bokmål and Rixmol are more commonly used in urban and suburban areas, and nynoshk in rural areas, particularly in Western Norway. The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) broadcasts in both Bokmål and nanny; all government agencies are required to support both languages. Bokmål or riksmol are used in 92% of all printed publications, nynoshk in 8% (data for 2000). In general, about 10-12% of the population, or slightly less than half a million people, is considered a realistic estimate of the use of nubies.
Despite fears that dialects of Norwegian will eventually give way to a common spoken Norwegian language close to Bokmål, the dialects still find considerable support in the regions, public opinion and popular politics to this day.
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✪ Lesson 1. Norwegian in 7 lessons for beginners. Verb være (to be). Elena Shipilova.
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Story
Main article: History of the Norwegian language
The languages now spoken in Scandinavia developed from the Old Norse language that was spoken in what is now Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Viking traders spread the language throughout Europe and some regions of Rus', making Old Norse one of the most widely spoken languages of their time. King Harald I Fair-Haired unified Norway in 872. Around the same time, a simple runic alphabet was used. According to the writings found on the stone slabs dating from this historical period, the language showed very little variation between regions. Runes have been in limited use since at least the 3rd century. Around 1030, Christianity came to Norway, bringing with it the Latin alphabet. Norwegian manuscripts written in the new alphabet began to appear about a century later. The Norwegian language began to separate from its neighbors around the same time.
"State Norwegian" is regulated by the Norwegian Academy, which determines acceptable spelling, grammar and vocabulary.
"High Norwegian"
There is also an informal form of nyunoshka, called høgnorsk("High Norwegian"), which did not adopt language reforms after 1917 and therefore remains closer to Ivar Osen's original "country language" project. Høgnorsk is maintained by the Ivar Osen Union, but does not find widespread use.
Dialects
Norwegian dialects are divided into two main groups: East Norwegian (including Trøndelag dialects) and West Norwegian (including northern dialects). Both groups are divided into smaller ones.
Most linguists agree that too much variation makes counting the number of Norwegian dialects very difficult. Differences in grammar, syntax, vocabulary and pronunciation in different regions make it possible to speak of separate dialects even at the level of several neighboring villages. In some cases, the dialects differ so much that speakers of other dialects who are unaccustomed to them cannot understand them. Many linguists note a trend towards regionalization of dialects, which blurs the distinctions between local dialects; however, there has recently been a resurgence of interest in preserving the latter.
In Norway, there is no concept of a pronunciation norm or any mandatory standard-setting orthoepic dictionaries. Formally, there is no codified, main, or prestige pronunciation. This means that a Norwegian speaker of any dialect has the right to speak according to the norms of his own (Norwegian) dialect in any setting and in any social context. In practice, the pronunciation of the so-called Standard East Norwegian (standard østnorsk) - based on the Bokmål dialect of the majority of the population of Oslo and other cities in the south-east of the country, is in many ways the actual pronunciation norm for the media, theater and urban population of Norway. It is believed that the work of the state Norwegian Language Council, the body responsible for developing and maintaining language norms, should not concern pronunciation.
Examples of differences between Norwegian language variants
Below are a few sentences illustrating the differences between Bokmål and Nyñoshk compared to the conservative (i.e. close to Danish) form of Riksmål and to Danish proper:
- B=bokmål
- R=riksmal
- N=nynorsk
- H=høgnorsk
- D=Danish
- R=Russian
B/R/D: Jeg kommer fra Norge
N/H: Eg kjem frå Noreg.
R: I [came] from Norway.
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short information
Norway, due to the fact that there is a polar day from May to July, is sometimes called the "Land of the Midnight Sun". This, of course, is a mysterious and even somewhat romantic name, but it does not cause a strong desire to come to this country. However, Norway is not only the Land of the Midnight Sun. First of all, Norway is the Vikings, amazingly beautiful fjords, some of which are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, and, of course, prestigious ski resorts.
Geography of Norway
Norway is located in the western part of the Scandinavian Peninsula. In the northeast, Norway borders on Finland and Russia, in the east - on Sweden. In the northeast, Norway is washed by the Barents Sea, in the southwest by the North Sea, and in the west by the Norwegian Sea. The Skagerrak Strait separates Norway from Denmark.
The total territory of Norway, including the islands of Svalbard, Jan Mayen and Bear in the Arctic Ocean, is 385,186 square kilometers.
A significant part of the territory of Norway is occupied by mountains. The highest of them are Mount Gallhöppigen (2469 m) and Mount Glittertinn (2452 m).
There are a lot of rivers in Norway, the longest of which are Glomma (604 km), Logen (359 km), and Otra (245 km).
Norway is sometimes referred to as the "Lakeland". This is not surprising, given that there are several hundred lakes in it. The largest of these are Mjøsa, Rösvatn, Femunn, and Hornindalsvatnet.
Capital
The capital of Norway is Oslo, which is now home to more than 620 thousand people. It is believed that Oslo was founded in 1048 by the Norwegian king Harald III.
Official language of Norway
The official language in Norway is Norwegian, which consists of two dialects (Bokmål and Nynorsk). Most often, Norwegians speak Bukol, but for some reason Nynorsk is popular with Norwegian Internet users.
Religion
More than 80% of Norwegians are Lutherans (Protestants) belonging to the Church of Norway. However, only about 5% of Norwegians go to church every week. In addition, 1.69% of Norwegians are Muslims and 1.1% are Catholics.
State structure of Norway
Norway is a constitutional monarchy in which the head of state, according to the Constitution of 1814, is the King.
The executive power in Norway belongs to the King, and the legislative power belongs to the local unicameral parliament - the Storting (169 deputies).
The main political parties in Norway are the liberal-conservative Progress Party, the social democratic Norwegian Labor Party, the Christian Democratic Party and the Social Left Party.
Climate and weather
Norway is at the same latitude as Alaska and Siberia, but this Scandinavian country has a much milder climate. In late June - early August in Norway, the weather is warm and the days are long. At this time, the average air temperature reaches + 25-30C, and the average sea temperature - + 18C.
The warmest and most stable weather is always observed on the southern coast of Norway. However, even in the north of Norway in summer the air temperature can exceed +25C. However, in the central regions and in the north of Norway, the weather often changes.
In winter, most of Norway tends to turn into a real snow paradise. In winter in Norway, the air temperature can even drop to -40C.
Sea in Norway
In the northeast, Norway is washed by the Barents Sea, in the southwest by the North Sea, and in the west by the Norwegian Sea. The Skagerrak Strait separates Norway from Denmark. The total coastline of Norway is 25,148 km.
Average sea temperature in Oslo:
January – +4C
- February - +3С
- March - +3C
- April - +6C
- May - +11C
- June - +14С
- July - +17C
- August - +18С
- September - +15C
- October - +12C
- November - +9С
- December - +5C
The real beauty of Norway is the Norwegian fjords. The most beautiful of them are Naeroyfjord, Sognefjord, Geirangerfjord, Hardangerfjord, Lysefjord, and Aurlandsfjord.
Rivers and lakes
There are a lot of rivers in Norway, the longest of which are Glomma in the east (604 km), Logen in the southeast (359 km), and Otra in Serland (245 km). The largest Norwegian lakes are Mjøsa, Rösvatn, Femunn, and Hornindalsvatnet.
Many tourists come to Norway to fish. In Norwegian rivers and lakes, salmon, trout, whitefish, pike, perch and grayling are found in large numbers.
History of Norway
Archaeologists have proven that people on the territory of modern Norway lived as early as the 10th millennium BC. But the real history of Norway began in the Viking Age, whose cruelty is still legendary on the coast of Great Britain, for example.
From 800-1066, the Norse Vikings became known throughout Europe as brave warriors, ruthless invaders, cunning merchants and inquisitive seafarers. The history of the Vikings ended in 1066, when the Norwegian king Harald III died in England. Olaf III became King of Norway after him. It was under Olaf III that Christianity began to spread rapidly in Norway.
In the XII century, Norway captured part of the British Isles, Iceland and Greenland. It was the time of the greatest prosperity of the Norwegian kingdom. However, the country was greatly weakened by competition from the Hanseatic League and the plague epidemic.
In 1380, Norway and Denmark entered into an alliance and became one country. The union of these states lasted more than four centuries.
In 1814, Norway, according to the Treaty of Kiel, became part of Sweden. However, Norway did not submit to this and the Swedes invaded its territory. In the end, Norway agreed to be part of Sweden if they were left with the constitution.
Throughout the 19th century, nationalism grew in Norway, and this led to a referendum in 1905. According to the results of this referendum, Norway became an independent state.
During the First World War, Norway remained neutral. During the Second World War, Norway also declared its neutrality, but it was nevertheless occupied by German troops (for Germany, this was a strategic move).
After the end of World War II, Norway suddenly forgot about its neutrality, and became one of the founders of the NATO military bloc.
Culture of Norway
The culture of Norway differs markedly from the cultures of other peoples of Europe. The fact is that this Scandinavian country is located far from such European cultural centers as Florence, Rome and Paris. However, tourists will be pleasantly impressed by the Norwegian culture.
Many Norwegian cities have annual music, dance and folklore festivals. The most popular of them is the international cultural festival in Bergen (music, dance, theater).
It cannot be said that the Norwegians have made a huge contribution to world culture, but the fact that it was significant is undeniable. The most famous Norwegians are polar explorers Roald Amundsen and Fridtjof Nansen, composers Varg Vikernes and Edvard Grieg, artist Edvard Munch, writers and playwrights Henrik Ibsen and Knut Hamsun, and traveler Thor Heyerdahl.
Cuisine of Norway
The main products of Norwegian cuisine are fish, meat, potatoes and other vegetables, and cheese. Norwegians' favorite traditional snack is pölse (potato cake with sausage).
Fenalår - dried lamb
- Fårikål - lamb stew with cabbage
- Pinnekjøtt - salted ribs
- Roast wild elk or deer
- Kjøttkaker - fried beef meatballs
- Laks og eggerøre - smoked salmon omelet
- Lutefisk - baked cod
- Rømmegrøt - sour cream porridge
- Multekrem - cloudberry cream for dessert
The traditional alcoholic drink in Norway is Aquavit, which is usually 40% ABV. The production of aquavita in Scandinavia began in the 15th century.
Sights of Norway
Norwegians have always been distinguished by the fact that they are very careful about their history. Therefore, we advise tourists to visit Norway to see:
North Cape
norwegian fjords
Changing of the guard ceremony at the Royal Palace in Oslo
Bryggen wooden quarter in Bergen
Sculpture park in Oslo
Holmenkolle Ski Jump
Snow hotel in Kirkenes
Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim
Viking ships in the maritime museum in Oslo
National Historical Museum in Oslo
Cities and resorts
The largest Norwegian cities are Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim, and Stavanger.
Norway is famous for its great ski resorts. Every winter in Norway there are different championships in skiing. The top ten Norwegian ski resorts include, in our opinion, the following:
1. Trysil (Trisil)
2. Hemsedal (Hemsedal)
3. Hafjell (Hafjell)
4. Geilo (Geilo)
5. Tryvann
6. Norefjell
7. Oppdal (Oppdal)
8. Hovden (Hovden)
9. Kvitfjell (Kvitfjell)
10. Kongsberg (Consberg)
Souvenirs/Shopping
We advise tourists from Norway to bring a real Norwegian wool sweater, toy trolls, modern dishes, wooden kitchen utensils, silverware, ceramics, jerky, brown goat cheese, and Norwegian vodka - aquavit.
Office Hours
Stores open:
Mon-Wed and Fri: 09:00-17.00/18:00
Thu: 09:00-20.00
Sat: 10:00-18.00
Supermarkets are usually open on Mon-Fri from 09:00 to 20.00, and on Sat from 10:00-18.00.
Banks:
Mon-Fri - 08:00-15.30
Most hotels, restaurants and large shops accept major international credit cards.
