Re: Norwegian languages

Roberto Suarez Soto scripsit:

>         There's something that I've always wondered about: IIRC,
> there're two norwegian official languages, bokmal and nyorsk (though I
> don't know if they're spelled right like this O:-)).
Bokmal has a-with-ring, and it's "Nynorsk" ("New Norse").

> What are their differences?
Bokmal is basically Danish, but given a Norwegian pronunciation and
with many borrowings from Norwegian dialects.  "Danish spoken in Swedish",
as the joke has it.

Nynorsk is a fusion of those dialects, with many archaic features realtive
to the other (continental) North Germanic languages.

> I'm sure that spoken they are quite different,
Both of them are written standards, and have very roughly 80/20
support in the system respectively.  AFAIK there is no standard
spoken Norwegian, just as there is no standard spoken American.
(There's the way TV announcers talk, but people don't learn
that style unless they want to go into some related profession.)

--
Deshil Holles eamus.  Deshil Holles eamus.  Deshil Holles eamus.
Send us, bright one, light one, Horhorn, quickening, and wombfruit. (3x)
Hoopsa, boyaboy, hoopsa!  Hoopsa, boyaboy, hoopsa!  Hoopsa, boyaboy, hoopsa!
  -- Joyce, _Ulysses_, "Oxen of the Sun"       jcowan@reutershealth.com

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