Norwegianspeaking

Norwegianspeaking refers to people who use Norwegian as their primary language. It denotes the linguistic community whose everyday communication is in Norwegian, a North Germanic language spoken mainly in Norway. The term largely encompasses speakers of the two official written norms, Bokmål and Nynorsk.

Norwegian belongs to the North Germanic branch of the Indo-European language family. In Norway, Bokmål and Nynorsk are recognized as official written languages. Bokmål is used by the vast majority in education, media, and administration, while Nynorsk is used by a substantial minority and is promoted in certain regions and institutions. Many Norwegians learn and use both written forms to varying degrees, though individuals often favor one as their primary written standard.

Spoken Norwegian is characterized by a wide variety of dialects. Most speakers use a local dialect in daily conversation, and dialects can differ markedly even between nearby communities. The written language tends to be more standardized, serving formal writing and public communication. The language shows only partial mutual intelligibility with Danish and Swedish, reflecting historical contact and common roots within the language group.

Historically, Bokmål developed from Danish during centuries of union; Nynorsk was constructed in the 19th century from Norwegian rural dialects by Ivar Aasen as an alternative national standard. In contemporary Norway, both written norms have official status, and local policies often determine which form is used in schools and government.

Internationally, Norwegian-speaking communities exist outside Norway, notably among the Norwegian diaspora in North America. In Norway, the use of Norwegian coexists with recognized minority languages such as Northern Sami and Kven, and with immigrant languages in urban areas.