Bokmal or Nynorsk

[Zumir]

If one was to learn Norwegian, would it be a better idea to learn Nynorsk or Bokmal? I would guess Bokmal, but I'm not sure.

[Åge Kruger]

If one was to learn Norwegian, would it be a better idea to learn Nynorsk or Bokmal? I would guess Bokmal, but I'm not sure.

That depends entirely on what you're going to be using your Norwegian for, and also how you plan on learning it. Today, there is only one book in English for learning Nynorsk (or Modern Norwegian, as it ought to be called), but loads for Bokmål. The vast majority of people use Bokmål as their primary written form, and the vast majority of media output is in Bokmål. However, this won't be much use to you if you want to visit areas where Modern Norwegian is the norm, or interact with people who write in Modern Norwegian. Modern Norwegian is also more useful if you will be speaking with people from outside of Oslo.

If I could learn Norwegian from scratch again, I would start with Modern Norwegian. Modern Norwegian is a bit more irregular, and since there's such a scarcity of materials in Modern Norwegian, harder to just ¨pick up¨. Bokmål, on the other hand, is all over the place, so I could have learned Bokmål just from reading and contact alone.

But of course, it's up to you to decide, based on what you're actually going to do with the language, which standard you choose. Heck, you might find out High Norwegian is the standard appropriate for you and your needs.

[finlay]

... why call Nynorsk by a made-up English name if you're not also going to call Bokmål "Literary Norwegian" or something?

[Zumir]

Thanks! I think that if I do learn Norwegian I would choose Nynorsk, partly for the reasons you gave and partly because, in a way, it's both a natlang and a conlang. Heaven.

[Åge Kruger]

... why call Nynorsk by a made-up English name if you're not also going to call Bokmål "Literary Norwegian" or something?

Because Modern Norwegian needs all the help it can get, and i don't care to give Bokmål anymore prestige than it already has. This is politics, nothing grander.

[finlay]

meh, fair enough

i don't know much about it. but that's what "bokmål" means, is it not?

[Majortopio]

meh, fair enough

i don't know much about it. but that's what "bokmål" means, is it not?

Pretty much. Literally it's "book language" I believe.

[WanderlustKoko]

^^Yep, it's the "Book language" and from what I understand from my friends in the neighboring country is that they would recommend that one learns Bokmål for written purposes and (a) local dialect(s) for the spoken language. I managed to pick up quite a bit of dialect words from my friend in Bergen and the way her dialect is seems like a blending of both "Nynorsk" and "Bokmål" to me and my friend from the North. Nynorsk is more common in the Western and Southwestern parts of Norway. So it's good to know both "Bokmål" and "Nynorsk" especially since dialects can mix the two anyway.

,

it's both a natlang and a conlang

Yeah more or less, I personally would just consider it to be an alternative "standard" form of the language. Compare British English to American English, Latin American Spanish to Spain Spanish, Quebec French to Parisian French, and etc.

[Qwynegold]

meh, fair enough

i don't know much about it. but that's what "bokmål" means, is it not?

Pretty much. Literally it's "book language" I believe.

Yeah, while bokmal means "bookworm".

[Skomakar'n]

meh, fair enough

i don't know much about it. but that's what "bokmål" means, is it not?

Pretty much. Literally it's "book language" I believe.

Yeah, while bokmal means "bookworm".

Aw, I was just going to point this out.

[Åge Kruger]

... why call Nynorsk by a made-up English name if you're not also going to call Bokmål "Literary Norwegian" or something?

Okay, I've come up with a sufficiently derogatory name for Dano-Norwegian, so from now on, I'm going to be calling it Brokmal - trouser pattern.

[Travis B.]

I would think that calling it Dano-Norwegian would be sufficient... but you could simply call it Danish and leave it at that...

[WanderlustKoko]

Or "Beautified Danish" if you will. -Is shot-

[Skomakar'n]

Or "Beautified Danish" if you will. -Is shot-

*shoots you*

Bokmål is boring. It's bastardised Danish. No more. Learn real Norwegian writing. Learn Nynorsk.

[Niedokonany]

Which is more krieg?

[Yiuel Raumbesrairc]

I'll learn Swedish instead. Meh

[Aurora Rossa]

I would definitely go for Bokmål myself, given that it sounds more literary and sophisticated which obviously meets my purposes. Of course it depends on what you are planning to do with your knowledge of Norwegian and such.

[Travis B.]

I would definitely go for Bokmål myself, given that it sounds more literary and sophisticated which obviously meets my purposes. Of course it depends on what you are planning to do with your knowledge of Norwegian and such.

/facepalm

[finlay]

I would definitely go for Bokmål myself, given that it sounds more literary and sophisticated which obviously meets my purposes. Of course it depends on what you are planning to do with your knowledge of Norwegian and such.

But Eddy, it's used in the South of the country by Conservatives.

[Aurora Rossa]

But Eddy, it's used in the South of the country by Conservatives.

Why do you say that? I would imagine Oslo, as the most urban and cosmopolitican part of Norway, much more liberal and progressive than the outlying rural areas.

[Åge Kruger]

I would definitely go for Bokmål myself, given that it sounds more literary and sophisticated which obviously meets my purposes. Of course it depends on what you are planning to do with your knowledge of Norwegian and such.

Modern Norwegian is more democratic, and is stereotyped as being more poetic. I'm quite surprised that you'd rather be associated with the literati and sophisticated-classes, than the working-man, but to each his own.

[Aurora Rossa]

Modern Norwegian is more democratic, and is stereotyped as being more poetic. I'm quite surprised that you'd rather be associated with the literati and sophisticated-classes, than the working-man, but to each his own.

Well, keep in mind the left in America has by far the most traction among the educated in major cities and virtually none among the "working man" as typically defined. Although that definition tends to focus on rural white men rather than ethnic minorities, people in the service and mental professions (teachers and so forth), most of whom qualify as working class in the sort of economic sense that I would typically use it. But all things considered, I don't feel too drawn to rural dialects for that reason.

[Åge Kruger]

Modern Norwegian is more democratic, and is stereotyped as being more poetic. I'm quite surprised that you'd rather be associated with the literati and sophisticated-classes, than the working-man, but to each his own.

Well, keep in mind the left in America has by far the most traction among the educated in major cities and virtually none among the "working man" as typically defined. Although that definition tends to focus on rural white men rather than ethnic minorities, people in the service and mental professions (teachers and so forth), most of whom qualify as working class in the sort of economic sense that I would typically use it. But all things considered, I don't feel too drawn to rural dialects for that reason.

But that's exactly the problem here, isn't it? You're applying American politics to a situation where it is entirely inappropriate. In fact, you've fallen into the trap of saying the same sort of things that bourgeois Norwegians say about country people and rural dialects.

[Aurora Rossa]

But that's exactly the problem here, isn't it? You're applying American politics to a situation where it is entirely inappropriate. In fact, you've fallen into the trap of saying the same sort of things that bourgeois Norwegians say about country people and rural dialects.

But aren't rural people more conservative even in places like Scandanavia? Or would you consider the "redneck" phenomenon one sees in America an anomaly rather than the rule?

[Åge Kruger]

But that's exactly the problem here, isn't it? You're applying American politics to a situation where it is entirely inappropriate. In fact, you've fallen into the trap of saying the same sort of things that bourgeois Norwegians say about country people and rural dialects.

But aren't rural people more conservative even in places like Scandanavia? Or would you consider the "redneck" phenomenon one sees in America an anomaly rather than the rule?

What does conservative mean? Conservative as opposed to liberal? Conservative as opposed to socialist? Are all rural areas even the same? The Norwegian Labour Party received over 45% of the vote in three rural counties, but also received less than 30 in three of the same. Progress, a sort of Thatcherite party, won over 27% of the vote in two rural counties, but less than 18% in three others. The Conservatives, on the other hand, did best in Oslo area and Hordaland, a mix of rural and urban. The Socialist did best in mid and northern rural Norway and also Oslo.