The language situation in Norway- and in your countries

Cultural journeyKarianne Skovholt

13.09.2011

Overview

1. What are the language situation in Norway today?

2. What are the historic background of two different norms of written language

3. The minorities in Norway – past and present

Language and landscape

The language situation in Norway• Many dialects• Three official languages: Norwegian, Sami, Kvensk (+ sign

language and Braille writing/blindeskrift)• Two official written norms

– nynorsk and bokmål• Sami (Lappish): administration language in the North• Kvensk: administration language in a few local municipalities

(kommuner)• Traditional minority languages in Norway:

– Sami, kvensk, romani (, romanes• New minority languages:

– Swedish, Panjabi/Urdu, English, Danish, Vietnamese, Serbian, Bosnian, Turkish, Arabic

The language situation in NorwayÆ

ÆI

JeEg

E

Jei

Jæ

Æg

Jeg

Listen to Norwegian dialects• Nordavinden og sola• Nordavinden og sola kjekla/kjeklet om kven/hvem av

dei/dem som var den sterkaste/sterkeste. Da kom det en mann gåande/gående med en varm frakk på seg. Dei vart samde/De blei enige om at han/den som først kunne få mannen til å ta av seg frakken skulle gjelde for sterkare/sterkere enn den andre. Så blåste nordavinden av all si makt, men dess meir/mer han blåste, dess tettare/tettere trakk mannen frakken rundt seg, og til sist gav nordavinden opp. Da skein/skinte sola fram så godt og varmt, og straks tok mannen av seg frakken. Og så måtte nordavinden innrømme at sola var den sterkaste/sterkeste av dei/dem.

• http://www.ling.hf.ntnu.no/nos/?list

2. Finnmark

3. Borre

1. Sør-Trøndelag

16. Bergen

22.Stavanger

17.TelemarkFyresdal

NordavindenSola

vinjsola

Nolavin Nolavinj NoRda..Solen solå

Sol

mannen maanj manj man

Først R fyrst

Hvem av dem

Kæm a dæm

Kven av dei

Sterkeste av dem

Sterkast ta dæm

SteRkeste

sterkaste

Gående gåandes gangande

Varm frakkTa av frakken Ta tå frakken

Varme frakk Varme frakkfrakkjen

blåste blos

skinte skein sjinte skein

Why two different norms of written language – bokmål and nynorsk? The historical background

• Viking age• The plague (The black death)• 1397: Union with Denmark (Kalmarunionen)• Danish influence– Guthenberg– Reformation of the church

• 1814: union with Sweeden

The viking age

• King• Contact with Europe• Cultural influence• Written language and Latin alphabet (1000

AD)• Snorre Sturlason

The plague (The black death)

• Priests died• Literacy disappeared• Economic depression• 1397: Kalmarunionen

1397: Union with Denmark (Kalmarunionen)

• 1380: Håkon VI dies• Margrete queen of Denmark and Norway• 1397: Agreement between Sweden and

Denmark-Norway• 1523: Sweden left the union• Denmark sthrenghten position

Danish influence

• All the important positions were held by Danes• 1462: Johan Gutenbergs printing press• Mass-distribution of books in Danish• Reformation of the church:– Latin abandoned in the services– Bible translated into Danish

• 1736: Confirmation: reading and writing skills• Danish became the written language in Norway

1814: union with Sweeden

• 1814: The constitution at Eidsvoll • Dreams of freedom• Romantiscism• Nationalism

Two strategies

1. Danish-Norwegian: Henrik Wergeland (1808-45), Knud Knudsen (1812-95), Peder Christian Asbjørnsen( 1813-82), Jørgen Moe (1812-85)

2. A new written languages based on dialects: Ivar Aasen (1813-96), P.A.Munch (1810-63)

Bokmål

Nynorsk