Learn about the two offical forms of the Norwegian language
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Intro |
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| Michael: What are Bokmål and Nynorsk? |
| Annette: And how are they different? |
| Michael: At NorwegianClass101.com, we hear these questions often. In the following situation, Karen Lee is curious about the different forms of Norwegian. She asks a family friend, Olav Olsen, "Which is used more, Bokmål or Nynorsk?" |
| Karen: Hva brukes mest, bokmål eller nynorsk? |
| Dialogue |
| Karen: Hva brukes mest, bokmål eller nynorsk? |
| Olav: Bokmål. |
| Michael: Once more with the English translation. |
| Karen: Hva brukes mest, bokmål eller nynorsk? |
| Michael: "Which is used more, Bokmål or Nynorsk?" |
| Olav: Bokmål. |
| Michael: "Bokmål." |
Lesson focus |
| Michael: If you had to ask a friend in Norway to rewrite something from English to Norwegian, don't be surprised if they ask you which version you want. This is because, when it comes to writing, Norwegian has two different forms of the language. However, the spoken form is considered just one language. How can that be? I will explain! |
| Norway has around 5 million inhabitants and most of these people speak Norwegian. Their language is fairly close to Danish and Swedish, and speakers of the three languages can generally understand each other. Like in many countries, there are also various other languages spoken by minority groups. The main minority group is called the |
| Annette: Sámi |
| Michael: who have special status as aboriginal people. In fact, Sámi is Norway's second official language. However, 99% of the people speak Norwegian. Norway has a little quirk, though: they distinguish between the written and the spoken languages. As a rule, spoken Norwegian refers to any of the regional dialects around the country—and there are many! So, why would the written language be different, and have two forms? To understand, we must consider its history. |
| As a language, Norwegian went through quite the evolution since its early beginnings as Old Norse—a language spoken by the Vikings. After the Black Death in 1349, very few literate people were left, so nobody recorded the language in writing. For 400 years after that, Denmark ruled Norway and the Danish language prevailed. After Norway's independence, they were determined to reform the language into their own. A new language emerged, called |
| Annette: Bokmål, |
| Michael: which means ‘Book Language'. It was heavily influenced by Danish and the kind of vocabulary already being used in books. Later on, another variety followed called |
| Annette: Nynorsk, |
| Michael: which means ‘New Norwegian'. This version of the language was based on the various Norwegian dialects. Linguistically, they are just considered different dialects and they are close enough to be completely mutually intelligible. In fact, if you were a kid in Norway today, you would be learning both forms in school. So, which one is more important? |
| [Recall 1] |
| Michael: Let's take a closer look at the dialogue. |
| Do you remember how Karen Lee said, "Which is used more, Bokmål or Nynorsk?" |
| [PAUSE 4 SEC] |
| Annette: Hva brukes mest, bokmål eller nynorsk? |
| Michael: Since both of these are official written language standards, it would be natural to wonder which one is more common—especially as a traveler in the country. Dialects can be very diverse in Norway, and you will often hear blending when people speak. |
| [Recall 2] |
| Michael: Now, let's take a look at our second sentence. |
| Do you remember how Olav answered? |
| [PAUSE 3 SEC] |
| Annette as Olav: Bokmål. |
| Michael: The dominant language is Bokmål, and it's used in writing by about 90% of Norwegians. The other 10%, which is about half a million people in Western Norway, use Nynorsk. So, what's the difference, and which version should you learn? |
| Annette: The first thing to remember is that there is no standard spoken Norwegian. People don't speak Bokmål or Nynorsk, they speak Norwegian. It's more accurate to say someone speaks the dialect of their hometown, or of the place where they live and work. |
| The real difference comes when you are writing. Yes—you write in either Bokmål or Nynorsk. What's nice is that you can pick whichever form you want, as there are no rules about it. Different municipalities have their preferences, so your geographical location might influence your choice. If you are learning from a teacher, you will most certainly be learning Bokmål, since this is the form found in textbooks. Bokmål is also very close to the way people speak in the capital, Oslo, where they call it Østlandsk. |
| Michael: This is the language you will encounter most often. Not only do most people use Bokmål, but it's also the version used by the media. There have been attempts to unite the two languages into one, but as yet, they still run parallel to each other. |
| Annette: For interest, let's compare some useful phrases! If you are beginning an email with "My name is…" the Bokmål version will be [NORMAL] Jeg heter [SLOWLY] Jeg heter |
| [PAUSE 3 SEC] |
| Michael: while the Nynorsk version will be |
| Annette: [NORMAL] Eg heiter [SLOWLY] Eg heiter |
| [PAUSE 3 SEC] |
| Michael: Next, perhaps you will write "I come from…" |
| Annette: [NORMAL] Jeg kommer fra [SLOWLY] Jeg kommer fra |
| [PAUSE 3 SEC] |
| Michael: That was Bokmål! |
| Annette: In Nynorsk, you would write - [NORMAL] Eg kjem frå [SLOWLY] Eg kjem frå |
| [PAUSE 3 SEC] |
| Michael: How about a phrase for a love note? This is how you write "I love you" in Bokmål |
| Annette: [NORMAL] Jeg elsker deg [SLOWLY] Jeg elsker deg |
| [PAUSE 3 SEC] |
| Annette: And in Nynorsk, you say - [NORMAL] Eg elskar deg [SLOWLY] Eg elskar deg |
| [PAUSE 3 SEC] |
| Michael: Now, if you meet someone and don't understand their dialect, you can let them know with this Bokmål phrase |
| Annette: [NORMAL] Jeg skjønner ikke [SLOWLY] Jeg skjønner ikke |
| [PAUSE 3 SEC] |
| Michael: "I don't understand." |
| Annette: In Nynorsk, it sounds like this - [NORMAL] Eg forstår ikkje [SLOWLY] Eg forstår ikkje |
| [PAUSE 3 SEC] |
| Michael: If you say one of these phrases, a Norwegian will probably start speaking closer to the written form, so that you can understand! |
| Annette: Nynorsk also uses more diphthongs than Bokmål does. For instance, the word - grøt |
| Michael: means "porridge" in Bokmål, and is spelled with one vowel. Nynorsk gives it a double vowel that changes the spelling and the sound |
| Annette: graut. |
| Michael: Some phrases you come across will look exactly the same in both varieties, and others will be completely different. An example of a phrase that is the same in both is |
| Annette: [NORMAL] Det er kaldt i dag. [SLOWLY] Det er kaldt i dag. |
| [PAUSE 3 SEC] |
| Michael: meaning "It is cold today." On the other hand, here is a phrase where every word is different |
| Annette: [NORMAL] Hvor kommer hun fra? [SLOWLY] Hvor kommer hun fra? |
| [PAUSE 3 SEC] |
| Michael: This means "Where does she come from?" in Bokmål. In Nynorsk, you would write this |
| Annette: [NORMAL] Kvar kjem ho frå? [SLOWLY] Kvar kjem ho frå? |
| [PAUSE 3 SEC] |
| Cultural Insight |
| Michael: For Norwegians, their dialect is very much a part of their identity. In fact, locals can often tell what part of the country someone is from just by the way they speak. The written standard of a particular region is also an important part of who they are. In Western Norway and rural areas, Nynorsk has a strong standing and is the primary form used. You could say Nynorsk is associated with traditional values; Bokmål, on the other hand, represents more progressive values. |
Outro |
| Michael: Do you have any more questions? We're here to answer them! |
| Annette: Ha det! |
| Michael: See you soon! |
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