Language Research

Constitution, adopted on May 17, 1814

A new and more detailed Language Law was passed in 1980, the Law on Language Use in the Official Service, which was based on the same fundamental principle as the original 1930 Law. The first paragraph reads: “Bokmål and Nynorsk are equal versions of the language and shall be regarded equally as written languages in all governmental bodies at the national, provincial and municipal level.”

Norway has two Norwegian languages. Bokmål, (Book Language or Standard) and Nynorsk, (New Norwegian). Bokmål - formerly Riksmål (the language of the nation) is the older of these two languages. Riksmål was influenced by the Danish language during the 434-year union of the two nations. Nynorsk was created by the philologist Ivar Andreas Aasen (1813-96) from rural dialects about 100 years ago and it serves as the written norm for most of the dialects in rural areas and some smaller urban centers mainly in the West. In 1884 it was given equal status as an official language. Since 1917, essentially the same spelling principles have applied to both Norwegian languages; both are spelled etymologically, with elements of exact sound, and ortho-epic forms. The differences in spelling since 1917 are not a reflection of two different writing traditions but rather actual language differences.

Norwegian belongs to the North Germanic branch of the Germanic language group. The Norwegian alphabet has three extra letters, “æ” as in bad, “ø” as in burn, and “å” as in ball. Of note is the fact that both Nynorsk and Bokmål are pure written languages. No one actually speaks these languages; in Norway all spoken languages are regarded as dialects.

For a Norwegian native, it is quite easy to understand both languages, since they are very close in linguistic terms. Most words are the same, although sometimes spelled differently. For instance the word “I” is “jeg” in Bokmål and “eg” in Nynorsk. Other Norwegians can understand anyone, who speaks Norwegian, whether it is a local dialect or one of the two standard languages.

In this century, it has been a political goal to merge the two languages, imposing changes in Bokmål that were unnatural and illogical. Today, there is much greater tolerance.

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Updated (May 2004)

GENERAL LEGISLATION AFFECTING MINORITIES AND THEIR LINGUISTIC RIGHTS

Despite the existence of constitutional provisions concerning minority groups and legislation enacted specifically to safeguard and develop their language, culture and way of life, country's broadcasting legislation does not contain any regulatory provisions on the use of the Sámi language.

Chapter 3 of the Act No. 56 of June 12, 1987 concerning the Sameting (the Sámi Parliament) and other Sámi legal matters (the Sámi Act) includes the provisions regulating the use of the Sámi language. These cover a range of issues, including the translation of statutes and regulations into Sámi; the right to reply in Sámi; the extended right to use Sámi in judicial proceedings; the right to tuition in Sámi, etc. However, broadcasting in the Sámi language is not ruled by this law.

Article 1 (1)

The purpose of the Act is to make it possible for the Sámi people in Norway to safeguard and develop their language, culture and way of life.

Article 1 (5)

Sámi and Norwegian are languages of an equal worth. They shall be accorded an equal status pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 3.

Apart from legislation concerning the Sámi people, only two laws exist, which afford languages some kind of an official status: the Act on the Official Use of Bokmål and Nynorsk, which grants the lesser-used language, Nynorsk, certain minimum rights, and the Nordic Treaty on the use of Nordic languages in the Nordic countries.

The Act No. 127 of December 4, 1992 related to broadcasting (the Broadcasting Act) contains no provisions on the use of Sámi or other minority languages in broadcasting.

Source: Minority-language Related Broadcasting and Legislation in the OSCE, Program in Comparative Media Law and Policy (PCMLP), Center for Socio-Legal Studies, Wolfson College, Oxford University & Institute for Information Law (IViR) (http://www.ivir.nl/index-english.html), Universiteit van Amsterdam (Study commissioned by the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities), April 2003, edited by T. McGonagle (IViR), B. Davis Noll & M. Price (PCMLP), http://www.ivir.nl/publications/mcgonagle/Minority-language%20broadcasting.pdf

BROADCASTING

The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) has a sub-company named the Sámi Radio (TSR). TSR transmits regular radio broadcasts in Sámi, both within the Sámi area and on the national channels. TSR also produces television programs on a regular basis.

In 2000, NRK Sámi Radio broadcast 1,537 hours; it had 70 employees; head offices in Karasjok and eight local offices. The broadcasts covered Finnmark, Troms and the northern part of the Nordland Counties. In addition, 147 hours of radio programming were broadcast on the national radio network. In 2000, NRK Sámi Radio also produced 48 hours of television broadcasting.

Private national radio broadcasts three minutes of news in Sámi on weekdays. Four local radio companies broadcast only in Sámi.

Under the terms of the license given for the period between 2003 and 2009, the private national television channel TV 2 has been obliged to broadcast programs in the Sámi language¹.

Apart from the Norwegian and Sámi languages, NRK also broadcasts in Swedish, because this language is widely understood in Norway. There is a program in Finnish (approx. 12 minutes per week) in regional broadcasting targeting the Troms County (this program is supposed to cater for the Kvens).

Source: Minority-language Related Broadcasting and Legislation in the OSCE, Program in Comparative Media Law and Policy (PCMLP), Center for Socio-Legal Studies, Wolfson College, Oxford University & Institute for Information Law (IViR) (http://www.ivir.nl/index-english.html), Universiteit van Amsterdam (Study commissioned by the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities), April 2003, edited by T. McGonagle (IViR), B. Davis Noll & M. Price (PCMLP), http://www.ivir.nl/publications/mcgonagle/Minority-language%20broadcasting.pdf

¹ However, it broadcast only 30 hours of programs about Sámi matters in 2001.

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