Norwegian
Norwegian
NORSK, North Germanic language of the West Scandinavian branch, existing in two
distinct and rival norms--Dano-Norwegian (Bokmål, or Riksmål) and New
Norwegian (Nynorsk). Dano-Norwegian stems from the written Danish introduced
during the union of Denmark and Norway (1380-1814). New Norwegian was created by
the language scholar Ivar Aasen during the mid-19th century, primarily from the
dialects of the western rural districts, in order to carry on the tradition of
Old Norse. The use of Dano-Norwegian is more widespread than that of New
Norwegian; it is used in all national newspapers and in most of the literature.
Both of these mutually intelligible languages are used in government and
education, and plans have been made to bring them closer together gradually into
a common Norwegian language, Samnorsk, though resistance to these plans has been
vigorous.
4,250,000 native speakers, 612,000 in USA,
28,000 in Sweden, 27,405 in Canada, 11,000 in Ecuador. 5,000,000 in all
countries. This is the national language of Norway.
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![Norway - Click for Information]](https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/flags/no-flag.gif){kind=small}
![Sweden - Click for Information]](https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/flags/sw-flag.gif){kind=small}
![United States - Click for Information]](https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/flags/us-flag.gif){kind=small}
![Canada - Click for Information]](https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/flags/ca-flag.gif){kind=small}
![Ecuador - Click for Information]](https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/flags/ec-flag.gif){kind=small}