Ordbøker

Ordbøker, or dictionaries, are reference works that document the vocabulary of a language, including word forms, meanings, pronunciations, and usage. They typically provide information on spelling, inflection, grammatical role, synonyms, antonyms, and etymology, often with example sentences and cross-references. Dictionaries may be monolingual, bilingual or multilingual, and they can exist in print or digital form. Modern dictionaries increasingly rely on corpora and computational methods to describe current usage and to update entries rapidly.

In the Norwegian context, major dictionaries include Bokmålsordboka, which covers Bokmål Norwegian, and Nynorskordboka, which covers Nynorsk. A broader historical reference is Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB), offering etymology and historical forms. There are also extensive Norwegian-English and other bilingual dictionaries, as well as specialized dictionaries for fields such as law, medicine, or technology. Digital versions often include audio pronunciations, search by lemmas, and links to related terms.

Structure and content of an entry typically include the headword, part of speech, pronunciation, and one or more senses. Each sense may present definitions, usage notes, example sentences, related words, synonyms, and etymological information. Some dictionaries indicate regional variations or obsolete forms and may provide grammatical inflection tables.

Ordbøker play a central role in language learning, writing standards, translation, and linguistic research. They evolve alongside language, incorporating new vocabulary and usage patterns and, in many cases, offering interactive features and online accessibility.