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Glite Dictionary
Norwegian language

Norwegian language

3.2
A language from northern Europe spoken in Norway with two written forms, Bokmål and Nynorsk
  • noun
  • /nɔrˈweɪdʒən ˈlæŋɡwɪdʒ/
translation icon : idioma noruego
  • The Norwegian language is the official language of Norway, and it has two written forms: Bokmål and Nynorsk.

Examples

  • Many students in Norway learn the Norwegian language from an early age in school.

  • In addition to its rich history, the Norwegian language is known for its distinctive pronunciation.

  • The form of both adverbs here is standard in Nynorsk, the dialect-based, modern reconstruction of Old Norse, which since 1892 has been the second official Norwegian language.

    Academic text (1995)

Synonyms

Norwegian
vsNorwegian language
3.5

A language spoken in Norway

notes two official written forms, Bokmal and Nynorsk

Surface Forms

Norwegian language singular
Norwegian languages plural

Morphology

Norwegian + language

The meaning 'the language of Norway' is directly and compositionally derived from 'Norwegian' (denoting relation to Norway) + 'language' (a system of communication). This country-adjective + language pattern is cross-linguistically common and follows standard English composition, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily understand it.

Etymology

Norwegian language names the speech of the people of Norway: Norwegian points to Norway and language means the way people speak. This speech grew from the old language of the Vikings, so today Norwegian language means the modern language used in Norway, often written as 'Bokmål' or 'Nynorsk'.