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Norwegian dialects - background

Past

Norwegian dialects
An introduc7on
Olaf Husby
Dept. of Language and Literature
Norwegian University of Technology and Science
olaf.husby@ntnu.no

Development
Language history

Present
Dialects today
Main features

Future
Further developments

Direc7ons
Dialectology
Diachronic

Sociolinguis7cs
Synchronic

Dialect
A regional variety of language
dis7nguished by features related to
Vocabulary
grammar
pronuncia7on

mutually understandable
delimited from other regional varie7es, but
together with them cons7tu7ng a single language

Dialect - language
A language is a dialect with an army and
navy (Max Weinreich)
Mutually understandable?
Norwegian Rumanian
Norwegian Swedish Danish?
Dialects languages?

Languages in China

Varia7on
Intra-individual
Register

Inter-individual
Dialect
Norway: Mountains divide, water unite

Sociolect
Ethnolect

Dialects languages?

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Related terms
Accent

Sociolinguis7cs
Change

Synonym to dialect

Manner of pronuncia7on peculiar to a par7cular individual, loca7on, or na7on (Bri7sh,

Australian accent)

Ethnicity (L1 inuence on pronuncia7on)

Register

Par7cualer purpose, se\ng

Jargon

Context related

What?
Why?
How?

What is typical for dierent social groups?

Slang

non-standard words and phrases

Argot

Secret language

Pidgin

Simplied form (contact language)

Creole

Varia7on
Intraindividual
Register

Interindividual
Dialect
Mountains divide, water unite

PAST

Sociolect
Ethnolect

Proto-Germanic 500 BC

Developments

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Norwegian language
Proto Germanic 500 BC -> (reconstructed)
North Germanic

Proto Norse
Old Scandinavian
Older Norse
Younger Norse
Middle Norse
Modern Norwegian
1814 ->

200 500 AC
500 700 (sound change, syncope)
750 1050 (morphology, sound)
1050 1350 (established)
1350 1350 (collaps, foreign inuence)
1550 1814 (foreign inuence, Danish)

Dialectology
Diachronic

Post 1814: What counts as Norwegian language?

Spoken forms: Rural urban?
Wrigen forms: Aasen (Nynorsk), Knudsen (Bokml)

Dialectal geography: Authen7city

Pure forms

NORMS (Nonmobile, Older, Rural, Males)

Lists, ques7ons, observa7ons

PRESENT

Troms
Noravinn sola krangla om km a dm s va dn
strkeste. Da km en mainn gans me n varm
frakk p se. di ble eni om at deinn sm fsjt kuinn
f mainn te ta a s frakken sku bi rgna sm
den strkeste a dm.
S blste noravinnj a aill si makt. Mn jo mer
ham blste jo tgar trakk main frakke ruinnt se.
te sist mg noravinnj gi se. Da sjinte sola frm
s gg varnt at main straks mge ta a s
frakken. s mge noravinnj innjrmme at sola
va deinn strkeste a dm.

Trondheim

Bergen

Noravinn sola kjkla om vm a dm sm va dn

strkeste. Da km de n mann gene me n varm
frakk p s. Dm vart eni m at han sm fsjt
kuinn f mann te ta a s frakken va dn
strkestn a dm.
S blst noravinn av all si makt jo mer an blst
desto tegar trakk mann frakken runt s te sjlug
s ga noravinn opp. Da sjein sola fram s gg
varmt straks tok mann a s frakken. s mg
noravinn innrm at sola va dn strkastn a dm.

Noravinn soln kranglet m vm a di s va dn

strkeste. Da km de en mann gene me en
varm frakk p si. Di ble eni m at dn sm frst
kunne f man te ta a se frakken var dn
strkeste.
S blste noravin alt han klarte men jo mer an
blste jo tegere trakk man frakken runt si te
slug ga noravin pp. Da sjinte soln fram mann
tok av si frakken me en gang. s mge
noravin innrmme at solen var den strkeste.

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Stavanger

Oslo

Noravinnen sol krangla om kem a di s va dn

strkaste. D kmm de in mann genes me in
varme frakk p seg. Di bli enige m at den s
fyst kunne f mannen te ta av seg frakken sku
rinas sm strkare enn dn andre.
S blste noravinnen alt an rkte. men jo mr an
blste jo tgre trakk mannen frakken ront seg.
te slug ga noravinnen pp. D sjinte sol fram
s gg varmt. me in gang tog mannen av
seg frakken. s mge noravinnen innrmm at
sol va den strkaste av di.

Noravinn soln kranglet m vem a dem sm var

dn strkeste. Da km de n mann gene me en
varm frakk p s. Di ble enje m at den sm fsjt
kunne f mann t ta a s frakken skulle jelle fr
dn strkeste a dem.
S blste noravinn a all sin makt. Men jo mer an
blste jo tegere trakk mann frakken runt s te
sist mge noravinn ji pp. Da sjinte soln frem s
gg varmt at mannen straks mge ta a s
frakken. s mge noravinn innrmme at soln
var n strkeste a dem.

How many Norwegian dialects?

Categoriza7on: Central features

Who is in posi7on to decide?

Linguists?
People (folk linguis7cs)?
Not overlapping categories

Main dialect groups?

2, 3, 4?

Personal pronouns
jeg /ji/ - je, e, eg, , g, i .

Nouns
kone - kjerring

Adjec7ves
sulten svang

Subgroups

Preposi7ons
under - pund /ner/ - /p/ (oppunder)

Vocabulary
Ques7on words
hvem, hva, hvor, hvorfor, hvordan
kem, ka, kor, korfor, korsen

Inni7ves
skrive, lese, snakke
skriv, les, snakk

Present tense (strong verbs)

kommer, maler, skriver
kjem, mel, skriv

Grammar
Geni7ve
konas bil - kona sin bil

Names
Anne, Per - Ho Anne, han Per

HV-ques7on structure
Hva heterV duS - Ka duS heiteV
Hvor kommerV duS fra - Kor duS kjmV ifr

Past tense (weak verbs)

kastet
kasta, kast

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Morphology

Phonology
Tone on stressed syllable in word

Conjuga7on

High tone, low tone

Nouns
En vogn vognen vogner vognene
En vogn vogna vogner vognene
En vogn vogn vogne vognen

Ei bge bgen bger bgene

Ei bga bga bger bgene
Ei bg bgo bge bgen

Equaliza7on (jamning)
Treatment of syllables in disyllabic words (short syllables)

Apocope
Retroex ap
Retroexa7on
/r/ quality
Palataliza7on
Lowering of vowels

Norwegian dialects

Norwegian dialects
Ivar Aasen : Three
Northern
Eastern
Western

Western - high tone

Eastern low tone

Norwegian dialects

Dialects: Main Features

Four main areas

1.
2.
3.
4.

Central Eastern Norwegian

Mid-Norwegian (Trndersk)
Western Norwegian
Northern Norwegian

Tone
Retroex ap
Levelling
Apocope
Palatals
Dorsal /r/

EAST
Low
+
+
-
-
-

WEST
High
-
-
-
-
+/-

MID
Low
+
+
+
+
-

NORTH
High
+/-
-
+/-
+
-

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Dialects: Subdivisions

Southern North Norwegian

PROSODY : Toneme 1 word

[ved]

[vl:d]

Low tone High tone

MORPH: Inni7ves

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VOCABULARY : 1p. sg(jeg)

VOC: 1p. pl (vi)

VOC: Nega7on (ikke)

MORPH: Strong verbs vowel change (inf > pres)

MORPH: Weak fem. noun, sg. def

MORPH: Strong fem. noun, sg, def

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MORPH: Da7ve

PHON: Levelling (jamning)

Dorsal /r/

PHON: Retroex ap

PHON: /r/ dele7on plural

PHON: Leniza7on

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PHON: Alveolar > palatal

PHON: Palataliza7on of velars

PHON: Development of old /ll/

PHON: Vowel reduc7on/Apocope

PHON: Monophthongiza7on

Change
Linguis7c forms are reproduced by new
genera7ons
Small changes from one genera7on to the next
Priori7es (likes, dislikes, connota7ons)
Natural developments
Inuence
Na7onal
Demography
Mass media
Immigra7on
Interna7onal

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Change - Centralised

Model 1: Inuence

Oslo
Kris7ansand

Bergen Trondheim

Bod

Troms

Change - Decentralised

Model 2: Inuence

Trondheim
Namsos

Steinkjer

Levanger Kris7ansund Molde

Sunndalsra
Surnadal

Inuence

Standard spoken Norwegian?

No spoken standard
Reading forms of wrigen Norwegian
Bokml
Nynorsk

Inuence on spoken language

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Use of Bokml - nynorsk

Standard
Inuence on spoken language
Bokml
News broadcas7ng
Recent changes

Standard

Nynorsk
News reading
Theater

NRK - Norwegian

Higher educa7on Master thesis

Use of dialect in wri7ng

Dialect change
Old forms
Eradicated
Changes in life style (shing, farming)

Modern forms
Inuence from other dialects
Central East Norwegian
Regional center?
Ethnolects
Interna7onal (English)

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Dialect tolerance
Dialects used
Almost everywhere
News in TV and radio, Parliament, church, university
But not: Norwegian for adult foreigners

Individual change (adults)

Rkke hnet Brustad: Imiterte statsrdens dialekt (VG NeE 220.04.09)

[Rkke] was cri7zing Brustad At

the same 7me he was mocking her
by imita7ng her voice and her
dialect.
-Je er forbanna, Rkke said.

(/jei/ er forbannet)

Knot (Bokml-like speech) is not acceptable

Solidarity dimension

Future
Regional variants will dominate, local variants
will disappear

FUTURE

Vocabulary
Norwegian vocabulary develop
Older forms are dropped
New forms are included
Inuence
English
Ethnolects

Vocabulary
Morphology
Phonology

Phonology
Major changes today
Dorsal /r/
// > //

Palatals > Alveolar
/l/ Dental laminal >
alveolar apical

West
Central East,
West
North, Mid
Central East

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Sociophones
Retroex ap ( - ) Former:
Vulgar, working class
Palatals ( - ) Rural, less modern
// > // ( - ) Childish
Dorsal /r/ ( + ) Status ?

Sources
Mhlum, Brit og Ryneland, Unn (2012: ) Det
norske dialektlandskapet. Innfring i studiet av
dialekter. Oslo: Cappelen
hgp://www.aasentunet.no/iaa/no/
sprakfakta_2015/
Nordavinden og sola
hgp://www.ling.hf.ntnu.no/nos/
Dialektspillet.
hgp://mml.gyldendal.no/ytweb/
document.ashx?document=22459
www.calst.no

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