Bokmål

Bokmål. It is one of the two official written standards of the Norwegian language, the other being Nynorsk. Developed from the Dano-Norwegian koiné language that evolved during the union with Denmark, Bokmål is the most widely used written form in Norway, employed in national newspapers, most published literature, and a majority of municipal administrations. Its regulation is overseen by the Norwegian Language Council, and it exists on a spectrum from conservative forms close to Danish to more radical forms influenced by Norwegian dialects.

History

The roots of Bokmål lie in the Middle Ages, when Old Norse began to diverge. Following the Black Death and the dissolution of the Kalmar Union, Norway entered a prolonged union with Denmark, formalized by the Treaty of Kiel. During this period, the written language of the elite and administration became Danish, while spoken vernaculars varied. After the Napoleonic Wars, the 1814 constitution established a personal union with Sweden, fueling national romanticism and a desire for linguistic independence. Key figures like Knud Knudsen advocated for the gradual Norwegianization of Danish orthography and morphology, a process that accelerated after the dissolution of the union between Sweden and Norway. This reformed Dano-Norwegian eventually became known as Riksmål and later, officially, as Bokmål.

Standardization and regulation

The formal standardization of Bokmål has been a contentious and ongoing process. Major reforms in 1907, 1917, and 1938 introduced optional Norwegian forms, moving away from Danish conventions. The pivotal 1959 reform proposed a radical merger with Nynorsk, known as Samnorsk, which sparked significant public opposition, notably from the Riksmålsforbundet. Subsequent reforms in 1981 and 2005, overseen by the Norwegian Language Council, reversed some changes and reintroduced many traditional forms as alternatives, creating a system with extensive optionality. Official word lists and orthographic standards are published by the council, with the latest official dictionary being the Norwegian Academy's dictionary.

Relationship to other Norwegian varieties

Bokmål exists in a complex diglossic relationship with Nynorsk, both of which are official languages under the Norwegian Language Council. While Bokmål is derived from Dano-Norwegian, Nynorsk was constructed by Ivar Aasen based on West Norwegian dialects. The unofficial standard known as Riksmål is a conservative variety of Bokmål that rejects many post-1938 reforms. In practice, most Norwegians use a local dialect for speech but write in one of the two standards. The Høgnorsk movement advocates for a purist form of Nynorsk. Bokmål also remains mutually intelligible with Danish and Swedish, a key feature of the North Germanic languages.

Grammar and phonology

Bokmål grammar offers significant optionality, particularly in noun inflection and verb forms. For instance, the feminine gender can be used or merged with the masculine, a choice reflected in differing forms like "jenta" (feminine) or "jenten" (masculine) for "the girl". Verb conjugation is relatively simple, with a weak preterite suffix often -et or -a. Phonologically, it is based on the pronunciation of the East Norwegian dialect of Oslo, though it is a written standard without an official spoken form. Key features include the retroflex flap and two distinct tonal accents, toneme 1 and toneme 2, which can distinguish words. The Norwegian alphabet includes the letters æ, ø, and å.

Usage and status

Bokmål is the dominant written standard in Norway, used by approximately 85-90% of the population in writing. It is the primary language of the national broadcasters NRK and TV 2, major newspapers like Aftenposten and Verdens Gang, and the vast majority of published books. By law, all government documents must be available in both Bokmål and Nynorsk, and municipalities are classified as either neutral or having one of the two as their official administrative language. It is taught in all schools and is one of the working languages of the Nordic Council. Despite its dominance, the official language policy, guided by the Norwegian Language Council, aims to protect both standards and the nation's diverse Norwegian dialects.

Category:Norwegian language Category:Languages of Norway Category:Standard languages