bokmåls

Bokmål is one of the two official written standards of the Norwegian language, the other being Nynorsk. It is the most widely used form in Norway, dominating government, media, education, and most everyday written communication. Many Norwegians write in Bokmål in daily life even when they speak in regional dialects.

Bokmål originated in the 19th century from Danish, reflecting Norway’s historical union with Denmark. It developed from a Danish-based written form that came to be known as riksmål. After Norway established its own constitutional framework, there was a movement to Norwegianize the written language, and in 1929 the standard formerly called riksmål was officially renamed Bokmål. Throughout the 20th century, orthographic reforms aimed to make Bokmål more closely resemble spoken Norwegian and to balance its relationship with Nynorsk under the broader, though never fully realized, project of Samnorsk.

Orthography and forms: Bokmål uses the Latin alphabet with the letters æ, ø, and å. It permits both Danish-influenced spellings and Norwegianized forms, and has evolved through reforms that introduced alternative spellings and grammar patterns. In practice, writers may choose among conservative and more Norwegianized variants within the Bokmål standard.

Official status and usage: Språkrådet, the Norwegian Language Council, oversees language policy and guidance for Bokmål and Nynorsk. Bokmål is taught in schools and used in most government documents, media, and public signage, while Nynorsk remains prominent in certain regions and municipalities. The two standards reflect Norway’s linguistic history and regional preferences, and both are recognized in national education and public life.