Understanding the Sidemål System in Norwegian Schools

The Norwegian education system, like many others, is characterized by a nuanced approach to linguistic diversity. At the heart of this lies the concept of “sidemål,” a term that refers to the written standard of Norwegian that is not the student’s primary written form. Understanding this system is crucial for anyone seeking to navigate Norwegian education, whether as a student, parent, or educator. This article delves into the intricacies of the sidemål system, its historical context, its implementation in schools, and the ongoing discussions surrounding it.

Norwegian possesses two official written standards: Bokmål and Nynorsk. This duality is a distinct feature of the Norwegian linguistic landscape, shaped by centuries of historical and cultural developments. Bokmål, which translates to “book language,” evolved from Danish, the administrative language of Norway for centuries. It is characterized by its closer resemblance to Danish orthography and vocabulary. Nynorsk, meaning “new Norwegian,” was developed in the 19th century by Ivar Aasen, who aimed to create a written language based on the diverse Norwegian dialects. This led to a more distinctly Norwegian vocabulary and grammar, drawing from various regional speech patterns.

Historical Roots of the Duality

The roots of this linguistic division can be traced back to Norway’s long union with Denmark. For centuries, Danish was the language of government, education, and literature, leading to a significant Danish influence on the written language used in Norway. However, as Norway developed its national identity in the 19th century, a movement arose to reclaim and standardize a written language that was more reflective of the spoken Norwegian dialects. Ivar Aasen’s monumental work, collecting and analyzing thousands of dialectal forms, laid the foundation for Nynorsk.

The Development of Bokmål

While Aasen was constructing Nynorsk from the ground up, a parallel development was occurring with Bokmål. This standard did not shy away from its Danish inheritance but rather underwent a process of “Norwegianization.” Through various reforms, Bokmål gradually shed some of its more Danish features and adopted vocabulary and grammatical structures that were more in line with spoken Norwegian. This process was driven by a desire to make the written language more accessible

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