There are many countries in the world, but even more different languages and dialects, the emergence and consolidation of which took place over many thousands of years. The official language of Norway is Norwegian, however, in some regions of this constitutional monarchy, Sami is considered the official language.
Varieties and divisions of the official language
The internationally recognized Norwegian language within this state has two forms:
- bokmål is used as book speech;
- how the new Norwegian is being used baby.
Moreover, both forms of the language are widespread, used in everyday speech and official workflow. That is why it is impossible to give an unambiguous answer to the question of what language is spoken in Norway.
These language features are of interest not only to those who are going to visit Norway on a trip, but also to those who are simply interested in the various features of the states of the globe.
Facts of history and statistics
To understand how the official language was formedNorway and where all its features came from, it must be taken into account that all dialects and adverbs have a common beginning - the Old Norse language, which was used on the territory of several ancient states: Denmark, Norway and Sweden.
In addition to the two main forms, the people of Norway also use several other varieties of the language. Rixmol and högnosk are considered popular, although they are not officially accepted. In general, almost 90% of the population of the country speak two forms of the language - Bokmål and Rixmol, and also use them in documents, correspondence, in the press and in Norwegian books.
Bukmal passed to the Norwegians in the Middle Ages, when the Norwegian elite used the Danish language. It developed on the basis of the written Danish language, was adapted to the Norwegian dialect in the east of the country. But nynoshk was created in the mid-1800s, it arose on the basis of the dialects of the west of Norway and introduced into circulation by the linguist Ivar Osen.
Dialects and language features
The Saami language has a slightly different history and roots, it belongs to the Finno-Ugric language group. To date, it is spoken by about 20 thousand inhabitants of Norway, with a total population of just over 4.5 million. This is not such a small group, given that the official language of Norway is different from Sami.
No matter what language is official in Norway, almost every region and even village has its own peculiarities and dialects. There are several dialectstens, and it is rather difficult to find out their exact number. Indeed, for this it would take many years to study every remote piece of the territory of the constitutional monarchy.
Norwegian has 29 letters, just like official Danish. Many words have a common origin and even spelling, but over time they sound more and more different in Norwegian rendition. To learn the written language of Norway, you will have to take courses and spend a lot of time on grammar. The Norwegian language is far from the Slavic group, so it is not so easy to understand it.
Recommendations for a tourist
When going on a trip or a business trip, you need to remember that this is a special country - Norway. The official language is revered by the inhabitants of the monarchy as something sacred and special, they respect and honor their history. Therefore, English is taught here little, and they speak it with reluctance, even with foreign tourists.
Following worldwide globalization is mainly young Norwegians who live in large cities and tend to work in companies cooperating with other countries. In this case, they have to learn English and be able to speak fluently. However, even tourist sites and monuments rarely have an English description. To feel the full flavor and beauty of this Scandinavian country, you will have to learn at least a few phrases in Norwegian.
The official language of Norway seems complicated and difficult to remember, but the most simple and common phrasescan be learned without much effort. Any Norwegian will be pleased to be asked about where to stay or eat deliciously in their native language.
The most common words and phrases
When going to Norway, it is worth remembering at least a few basic phrases in the language of this country.
| In Russian | Norwegian | How to pronounce it |
| Hello | hallo | Hallu |
| Goodbye | ha det bra | Ha de bra |
| What is your name? | hva heter du? | wa heather du? |
| How much? | hva koster? | wa the fire? |
| Do you speak English? | du sier pa engelsk? | du sier pu ingelsk? |
Norway is a beautiful and amazing country, although for many tourists it seems cold and inhospitable. But a travel lover needs to visit this state at least once, enjoy the beauties of nature, diverse national cuisine and be sure to learn how to speak at least a few phrases in Norwegian.
