Riksmål

Riksmål. Riksmål is a traditional, conservative written standard of the Norwegian language, historically rooted in the Danish language as it evolved in Norway following the Dano-Norwegian union. It served as the primary written language in Norway throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, championed by influential cultural figures and institutions. The term is often used to describe a linguistic orientation that resists certain language reforms aimed at incorporating more elements from rural Norwegian dialects.

History

The foundations of Riksmål were established during the prolonged union between Denmark and Norway, a period when the written language in Norway was essentially identical to that used in Copenhagen. Following the dissolution of the union between Sweden and Norway in 1905, a strong national movement sought to develop a distinct Norwegian language, leading to the creation of Nynorsk by Ivar Aasen. In response, proponents of the traditional written standard, including renowned authors like Knut Hamsun and Sigrid Undset, began formally using the term Riksmål to describe their language. Key institutions such as the Norwegian Academy for Language and Literature were founded to uphold its standards, and major newspapers like Aftenposten historically used it as their primary language of publication.

Relationship to Bokmål

Riksmål is the direct predecessor of the modern official standard known as Bokmål. Throughout the 20th century, a series of state-mandated spelling reforms aimed to bring the written language closer to spoken Urban East Norwegian and various Norwegian dialects. These reforms created a spectrum within Bokmål, where the most conservative forms are virtually identical to traditional Riksmål. Organizations such as the Riksmålsforbundet actively promote and defend these conservative forms against further reform. The distinction is therefore often political and ideological, with Riksmål representing a resistance to certain elements of Nynorsk influence and specific morphological changes mandated by the government.

Linguistic characteristics

Linguistically, Riksmål retains a lexicon and grammar closer to its Danish language origins compared to more radical forms of Bokmål. It typically uses feminine gender nouns like "en sol" (a sun) and "sola" (the sun), where reformed Bokmål may allow the common gender "solen". In verb conjugation, it often prefers the Danish-inspired "-et" past tense ending (e.g., "kastet" for threw) over the more dialect-based "-a" ending ("kasta"). Its vocabulary includes words of Middle Low German origin common in Danish, and it generally resists adopting compound words or neologisms constructed from Old Norse roots that are promoted in Nynorsk.

Standardization and reform

Standardization efforts for Riksmål have been largely independent of the Norwegian Language Council, driven instead by private organizations. The Norwegian Academy for Language and Literature publishes authoritative dictionaries, such as the Riksmålsordboken, which define its norms. Major reform attempts, particularly the 1938 reform and the contentious 1959 proposal, were met with significant opposition from Riksmål advocates, including high-profile protests from authors and academics. This resistance led to a moderation of official policy, culminating in the "Bokmål standard of 2005" which restored many traditional Riksmål forms as permissible options within the official Bokmål standard.

Current status and use

While not an official administrative standard, Riksmål remains in active use and enjoys significant cultural prestige. It is the chosen language of several prominent Norwegian authors, including Johan Borgen and Agnes Ravatn, and is frequently used in genres like crime fiction and literary essays. Major publishing houses like Aschehoug and Gyldendal Norsk Forlag issue books in conservative Bokmål that aligns with Riksmål norms. It dominates certain national media outlets, notably the newspaper Aftenposten, and is widely used in commercial advertising, higher education dissertations, and within sectors like the judiciary and finance in Oslo.

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