The Norwegian language belongs to the Indo-European family, specifically the North Germanic branch. It shares many similarities with Swedish, Danish, and Faroese. Norwegian is spoken by approximately five million people, almost all residing in Norway, where it is an official language.
Written Forms
Norwegian has two official written standards: Bokmål (“language of books”), the most widely used. Nynorsk (“New Norwegian”), developed from rural dialects. Additionally, there are unofficial forms: Riksmål (“national language”), a conservative variant of Bokmål. Høgnorsk (“High Norwegian”), a conservative variant of Nynorsk.
Dialects
Norway is known for its wide range of dialects, influenced by the country’s mountainous terrain and isolated valleys, which limited travel and communication between regions. This geographical separation, combined with centuries of Danish rule that imposed Danish as the official language, prevented the development of a single standardized spoken language as seen in countries like Sweden or Germany. During the union with Denmark, a Dano-Norwegian common language emerged, used by a small segment of the population.
Today, spoken Norwegian remains diverse, while two official written standards coexist.
1. Bergenstesten
- Levels:
- A1, A2, B1, B2, C1
- Recognition: Accepted by the University of Oslo and other Norwegian institutions.
- Description: Bergenstesten is recognized by the University of Oslo and covers all levels of language proficiency.
2. Trinn
- “Trinn” translates to “levels” or “steps” and refers to structured stages in Norwegian language courses
Importance: Norwegian language proficiency is essential for those wishing to work or study in Norway.
The Norwegian language is essential for those who wish to work or study in Norway. At our institute, we offer courses tailored to meet your needs.
“Private lessons also available upon arrangement with the students.”
