Which group does the Norwegian language belong to? Which language is better to learn - Swedish or Norwegian?

It is logical to assume that in Norway they speak Norwegian. It would seem that we can put a confident end to this, but in reality everything is not so simple. The language of the fjord country, like any other, has its own varieties, as well as internal divisions of the official language. Norwegian exists in two forms on the territory of the state: Bokmål and Nynoshk. The first, as you might guess, is used mainly in bookish speech, and the second is New Colloquial Norwegian. Moreover, both options are popular and widespread.

A little history

However, the ancestor of modern Norwegian is Old Norse. It was spoken in several countries: Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Viking traders, along with their goods, “delivered” the language to all European countries and even managed to deliver it to some regions of Rus'. This is probably why Old Norse became one of the most widely spoken languages ​​in the world at that time. Then it divided into western and eastern. The first option was “to the taste” of Norway and Iceland, and the second was used in Sweden and Denmark.

Basics

The main forms of the language used by a good part of the country's inhabitants are Riksmål and the aforementioned Bokmål. The latter originated in medieval times. Written Danish became the foundation for it. In the mid-19th century, nynoshk began its history. Linguist Ivar Osen gave it life, although Nynoshk is a collaboration, so to speak, of the dialects of western Norway. Traveling around the country, the young philologist compared dialects, studied them, and soon his work found a home in several books that were published at the end of the same century. Nynoshka also has an unofficial form, which is known as “high Norwegian”. It cannot be said that “High Norwegian” is popular, but nevertheless it is closest to Osen’s creation “The Language of the Country”.

About 20 thousand people in the country speak the Sami language. Its history is somewhat different, but it deserves special attention, given the fact that Sami is noticeably different from official Norwegian.

Dialects

Each corner of the country has its own dialects, the number of which exceeds several dozen. But they are all divided into two groups: Western Norwegian and Eastern Norwegian. In fact, the differences are quite significant and they lie not only in grammar, syntax, etc. Speakers of one dialect sometimes absolutely cannot understand their fellow speakers of a “different” language.

Another interesting feature of the northern language is the absence of the concept of a pronunciation norm. For a Russian-speaking person, this is, of course, a priori strange, but formally, any Norwegian, speaking his own dialect, has the right in any setting, be it a formal reception or friendly gatherings, to use the features of his own dialect. For example, residents of Oslo consider their pronunciation norm to be the standard East Norwegian dialect, which is also the official language of the media.

New old letter

The Norwegian alphabet consists of 29 letters. By the way, the letter “å” can be considered a special feature of this language. Oddly enough, it appeared only in 1917. They borrowed it from the Swedish language - it existed there back in the 16th century.

How to learn Norwegian

If you are thinking about seriously studying Norwegian, it is better to choose courses and work hard enough to study grammar. The Viking language is very different from the Slavic group, so it is practically impossible to derive analogies and general rules.

In 1917, Norwegian underwent grammatical changes. So it was decided to remake some borrowed words in the “Norwegian way”. In Norway, this is done by the language council, which determines the norms and rules of the language - Norsk språkråd.

But the grammar of the “northern dialect” will please those who do not like to spend a long time studying the correct construction of a sentence. Let's take for example the verb "to be", which in Norwegian sounds like "er". It is mandatory for all European languages ​​and has the same form for absolutely all pronouns: “jeg”, “er”, “du”, “vi”. To express negation, you need to insert the particle “likke” after the verb: “jeg er” (I am) “jeg er likke” (I am not). If you want to ask a question, you should place the pronoun after the verb: "er jeg?" (am I?). Similar laws apply to the verb “ha” (to have): “jeg har”, “du har”, “vi har”. There is also a curious thing connected with articles. There is no definite article in the language, so to point out something, you just need to move the article to the end of the word: “en katt” (cat) becomes “katten”. There are three such articles in Norwegian: “en” for the masculine, “ei” for the feminine and “et” for the neuter.

English is also Norwegian

In general, almost everyone in Norway speaks English. You can always explain yourself in it, and as they say, you need to know. However, if you decide to learn Norwegian on your own, you need to remember a few simple and universal rules.

Alphabet

First, you need to become familiar with the letters of the alphabet. Take your time. Remember how they are written, how they are pronounced, do not forget about transcription. When the alphabet ceases to cause surprise and indignation, you can work with the dictionary. Start by memorizing simple words. It’s better if you can find video lessons on correct pronunciation that are suitable for you on the Internet. The system is the same as when learning a language at school: write down new information in a notebook along with a transcription and gradually begin to memorize everything. The main thing is not to try to memorize a large amount of material at once. Now it is important to learn to speak correctly, and only then gradually increase the load.

Let's move on to grammar

Decide which written language you will study. This is where you have to sweat a little. You will need special literature specifically to study the chosen option. Follow the rules and tips from the tutorials. Be sure to write down the main points and try to select examples yourself. At this stage, it is not speed that is important, but quality. Be sure to complete all the exercises to consolidate your knowledge.

Important tip! Don't try to learn several written languages ​​at once - real confusion will occur.

Just to quickly understand phonetic features and quickly learn to memorize words, you need audio/video materials. Listening to native speakers during lessons and beyond is an integral part of learning any language. Of course, for this practice it is better to use video footage. Try to learn to understand what is being said without a dictionary or hints.

Choosing a training format

Nowadays, distance learning is increasingly gaining popularity even in secondary schools. For some, this format of learning a foreign language may be ideal, but the “remote” option is far from universal. If, nevertheless, the first method is preferable for you, it is important to think through the details of such training. Individual lessons via Skype may be considered. There is also a group learning technique with other students in an online class. This approach may be alarming at first, but the teachers of online services are quite competent and use only modern textbooks in their lessons. In addition, the advantages include independence from geolocation - you can study where it is convenient for you and choose the time based on your own schedule. Unless you should always have high-speed Internet at hand, but in large cities this is not a problem. If classes are held with a group - as a rule, there are 3-4 people in them - there is an opportunity to practice dialogues and improve language skills. The teacher pays sufficient attention to each student, which allows them to master grammar and vocabulary in a short time.

Online classes

There are so-called online classes as a type of distance learning. Now this method is increasingly gaining popularity among online services. Small classes of 10 people are formed and trained using special software. The disadvantages of this method include the fact that the teacher will not be able to devote much time to just one student.

We learn the language as a whole company

Distance learning is also possible for corporate clients. Typically, employee groups are formed of 10 people. An increase in this indicator will contribute to a decrease in the quality of the educational process. Classes are held in a closed format - only for employees of one company. Lessons during working hours allow the company to control the training itself. Such services are used by clients who want to enter the Norwegian market. Also, Norwegian companies, in turn, can provide a similar reception for Russian-speaking colleagues.

Group training

Group training may be considered as an alternative method. Its main feature is that students gain knowledge from each other while practicing pronunciation. Such groups should be attended by “students” with the same level of training and at least having a certain base. But sometimes, when among the students there are people who know the language better, beginners can “learn a lot” from them.

Learning from a native speaker

Of course, the most effective method is to study with a native speaker. There are many advantages to such training. Firstly, the student will be able to improve his pronunciation and expand his vocabulary with expressions that Norwegians most often use in colloquial speech. And the culture of the country will not remain on the sidelines.

Motivation

But if the problem is motivation, you can try to take part in language marathons. Such events usually have more than a hundred people. The idea is that participants compete with each other in completing tasks for which they are awarded points. Various prizes await those who score a large number of points. This technique greatly helps motivate a person.

In conclusion, I would like to add that before you begin to actively immerse yourself in learning Norwegian, the main thing is to understand why you want to study it and where it may be useful to you. But even if this becomes your harmless hobby, you will never regret having the opportunity to speak freely with a native Viking in his native language.

Official language of Norway

Official language of Norway

The official language of Norway is Norwegian, but many other languages ​​are spoken in the country. The Norwegian language has some similarities with two Scandinavian languages: Danish and Swedish. In terms of spoken language, Norway's language is similar to Icelandic and the Faroe Islands.

A small part of the Norwegian population uses the Sami language, which belongs to the Finno-Ugric language family. Despite the small number of native speakers of this language, it was even given official status in some regions of Norway. For example, road signs and any other public information must be duplicated in two languages: Norwegian and Sami.

Knowledge of foreign languages ​​is gradated according to age. Thus, the majority of people in the older age category know English because they studied it at school. Modern young people have been studying German or French as a foreign language in recent decades. In addition to them, Italian and Spanish are gaining popularity.

Oslo has the largest number of ethnic groups, making Norway's linguistic diversity most well represented.

Language in Norway

What is the language in Norway?

Traditional Scandinavian dialects developed in the country under the influence of neighboring Denmark. Today the official language in Norway is Nynorsk. It is considered literary and is used in the works of writers and journalism. At the level of official documents, the national language of Norway, Riksmål, is used. Its development was associated with the country's dependence on Denmark and the dominance of the Danish. The spoken language of Norway is Nynorsk. It was formed in the 19th century. Today this language of Norway is used in the Vestland region. It is also spoken in rural areas.

Until the second half of the last century, the country's government tried to combine Nynorsk and Bokmål to create a common language for Norway. But then this practice was abandoned.

The Norwegian alphabet follows the Danish alphabet and consists of 29 Latin letters.

This country, located on the Scandinavian Peninsula, is famous for its stunning landscapes and high standard of living. However, it gained its independence only a hundred years ago, so its language was formed in an interesting way.

To the whole world, the people of Norway speak Norwegian, but for the Norwegians themselves, there are several official dialects. What language is spoken in this northern country? In this article we will talk about the main dialects of Norway!

1 Norwegian language

In the 21st century, Norwegian is officially recognized on the territory of this Scandinavian country. But in fact, two forms of modern language are common among Norwegians - Bokmål and Nynoshk. Both dialects are recognized by the state as official.

There are also unofficial forms of the language: Riksmål - a more conservative version of Bokmål, used in writing; Högnoshk - "high Norwegian".

So, how are these adverbs different?

The fact is that residents of Norway can choose three language options to study. Bokmål is a classic version of literary speech; it (and riksmål) are used by 90% of citizens, and it is also studied by foreigners. Nynoshk is a relatively new literary modern language, which is chosen by 10% of residents when studying.

2 A little history

Norway owes this division of languages ​​not only to historical events, but also to geographical location. Norwegian is close to Icelandic, but still has a huge influence from Danish.

However, all these languages ​​belong to the Scandinavian group. During Viking times and until about the 13th century, Old Norse was used in these territories, and then each country began to use its own language.

In the 13th century, Old Norwegian was formed, but after the merger with Denmark, the language of this country became dominant. Until 1814, Norway was dependent on Denmark, and then entered into an agreement with. And in the 1840s, the Norwegians began to demand independence, and this primarily affected the language.

3 Finding your native language

In the 1840s, writers began to use more Norwegian words in their texts. Soon after the nationalist initiative, grammar and spelling were changed.

In 1899, new standards were finally adopted and the language was named Riksmol. It was used by the highest circles in Norway. But the Norwegian linguist Ivar Åsen put a lot of effort into creating a new spoken language. He traveled around his native country and studied the diversity of dialects to understand how Icelandic managed to resist the influence of foreign ones, but Norwegian did not.

By 1929, two dialects were officially formed - Nynoshk and Bokmål. Subsequent reforms attempted to introduce a single form of the language, Samnoshk, but were unsuccessful. Bokmål and Nynoshk remain popular among Norwegians.

4 Varieties and divisions of the official language

Since Norway has only five million inhabitants, geographically the settlements were very far from each other. Because of this, in addition to the main division, Norwegian is full of dialects. There are a great many of them, and it is customary to divide all dialects into two groups - East Norwegian and West Norwegian.

The main difference is the use of Bokmål, Riksmål and Nynoshk. Boksmål and, especially, riksmål are usually advocated by adherents of the country’s historical traditions. But more radical Norwegians are calling for the introduction of nynoshka.

5 Dialects and language features

All dialects are divided into four groups: Estlansk (eastern), Westlansk (western), Tröndeshk (center) and Nurnoshk (northern). In general, Norwegians can understand each other; the main differences between the dialects consist of grammar, vocabulary and syntax.

In addition, in the municipalities of Finnmark and Troms, Sami is recognized on a par with Norwegian. Yes, it is still used to this day by residents of northern Scandinavia and the Kola Peninsula in Russia. About 25 thousand people call him home.

Do not forget that although Norway is a European country, English is practically not widespread here. There are few signs in English, and even in large cities you rarely meet an English-speaking person. Of course, in some tourist areas, employees have knowledge of foreign languages, but this is very rare.

The official language in Norway is very revered, so they spend a lot of effort on preserving even the rarest dialects. For a tourist, it is best to learn a few phrases in Norwegian in advance, since you can’t hope to speak English in Norway.

7 Some interesting facts

1. Norwegian is considered a transitional language between Danish and Danish. Residents of these countries do not understand each other, but they can easily understand a Norwegian!
2. The Norwegian alphabet is very similar to the Danish alphabet and also has 29 letters. However, the Norwegians were the first to include the last letter in the alphabet, they did it in 1917, and the Danes in 1948.
3. In recent years, Norwegian has been greatly influenced by English. Many English words have found their way into Norwegian speech from the internet and the influence of pop culture.
4. Norwegian is tonal, which is very rare for Indo-European languages. Tonality is most often found in Asian languages, such as Chinese.

In general, Norwegian was greatly influenced by the country's geographical location - the abundance of valleys and mountains, as well as dependence on Denmark for several centuries. Norwegian became independent relatively recently!

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Norwegian(self-name - "norsk" listen)) is a Germanic language spoken in Norway. Historically, Norwegian is closest to the Faroese and Icelandic languages. However, due to the significant influence of the Danish language 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, as opposed to the island 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 the modern Norwegian language has been a controversial phenomenon, closely related 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 the Norwegian language in the country - bokmål (norwegian"bokmål" - "book speech") And nyunoshk (norwegian"nynorsk" - "new Norwegian").

The language issue in Norway is very controversial. Although not directly related to the political situation, written Norwegian is often characterized as falling on the conservative-radical spectrum. The current forms Bokmål and Nynoshk are considered moderate forms of respectively the conservative and radical versions of written Norwegian.

An unofficial but widely used written form known as rixmål ( "riksmål"- “sovereign speech”), is considered more conservative than bokmål, and the unofficial högnoshk ( "høgnorsk"- “high Norwegian”) - more conservative than nynoshk. And although Norwegians can be educated in either of the two official languages, about 86-90% use Bokmål or Riksmål as their everyday written language, and Nynoshk is used by 10-12% of the population. In a broader perspective, bokmål and riksmål are more commonly used in urban and suburban areas, and nynošk in rural areas, particularly in Western Norway. The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) broadcasts in both Bokmål and Nynoshk; All government agencies are required to support both languages. Bokmål or rixmål are used in 92% of all printed publications, nynoshk in 8% (data for 2000). In general, a realistic estimate of nynushk use is considered to be around 10-12% of the population, or just under half a million people.

Despite fears that the dialects of Norwegian would eventually give way to the common spoken Norwegian language, which is close to Bokmål, the dialects still find significant regional support, public opinion, and popular politics to this day.

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Main article: History of the Norwegian language

The languages ​​now spoken in Scandinavia developed from the Old Norse language, which was spoken in what is now Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Viking traders spread the language throughout Europe and parts of Rus', making Old Norse one of the most widely spoken languages ​​of its time. King Harald I the Fairhair united Norway in 872. Around this time, a simple runic alphabet was used. According to writings found on 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 diverge from its neighbors around the same time.

"National Norwegian" is regulated by the Norwegian Academy, which defines acceptable spelling, grammar and vocabulary.

"High Norwegian"

There is also an unofficial form of nyunoshka, called høgnorsk(“high Norwegian”), which did not accept language reforms after 1917 and therefore remains closer to Ivar Åsen’s original “country language” project. Høgnorsk is supported by Ivar Osen's Alliance, but does not see widespread use.

Dialects

Norwegian dialects are divided into two main groups: Eastern Norwegian (including the Trøndelag dialects) and Western Norwegian (including the northern dialects). Both groups are divided into smaller ones.

Most linguists agree that the wide range of differences makes counting the number of Norwegian dialects very difficult. Differences in grammar, syntax, vocabulary and pronunciation in different regions allow us to talk about separate dialects even at the level of several neighboring villages. In some cases, dialects are so different that speakers of other dialects who are not accustomed to them cannot understand them. Many linguists have noted a trend toward dialect regionalization, which is blurring the differences between local dialects; however, recently there has been renewed interest in preserving the latter.

In Norway there is no concept of pronunciation norm or any mandatory standard-setting spelling dictionaries. Formally, there is no codified, master or prestigious pronunciation. This means that a Norwegian speaking 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 Ostnorsk listen)) - the Bokmål-based dialect of the majority of the population of Oslo and other cities in the south-east of the country, is largely the de facto pronunciation norm for the media, theater and urban population of Norway. It is believed that the work of government Norwegian Language Council, the body responsible for developing and maintaining language standards, should not concern pronunciation.

Examples of differences between Norwegian language variants

Below are a few sentences illustrating the differences between Bokmål and Nynoshk in comparison with the conservative (that is, close to Danish) form Riksmål and with the Danish language proper:

• B=bokmål
• R=riksmål
• 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.