FEATURES
T
he brand-new Language Act
1
is
Norway's first comprehensive language
legislation of its kind. Its main purpose
is to give the Norwegian language legal
status and a stronger protection as the
country's most important expression of its
culture, history and identity. Coming into
force on 1 January 2022, it seeks to protect
and elevate both official and minority
languages, and places a responsibility on the
public sector to communicate in a clear and
user-orientated manner that is accessible to
all members of society.
Although it is not the country's only official
language, Norwegian is by far the most
common. With this new legislation, its two
written varieties – Bokmål and Nynorsk – are
considered separate languages of equal
status. Technically, this was already
embedded in the Equal Status Act of 1885,
but the public sector must now promote the
least used of the two: Nynorsk.
Another welcome move is the elevation of
Norwegian Sign Language to a full-status
language, equal to spoken and written
Norwegian. Recognised as a fundamental
aspect of cultural identity and expression – a
sentiment advocated by interpreters and
other linguists for years – the language is no
longer considered a mere teaching tool or
auxiliary form of communication.
A further key element of the legislation is to
strengthen the position of Norway's minority
languages: Northern Sámi, Southern Sámi,
Lule Sámi, Kven, Romani and Romanes. Sámi,
in its various forms, is an official language of
Norway. As the indigenous language of the
Sámi people, it is intrinsically linked to their
identity, cultural heritage and affiliation.
Kven is a Baltic Finnish language that is
closely related to Meänkieli in Sweden and to
Northern Finnish dialects, and was recognised
as a language in its own right in 2005.
2
Romanes is the language of the Roma
Helle Gulowsen considers the recognition of marginalised languages
in Norway – the first of two important new pieces of legislation
Protected by law
CELEBRATING TRADITION
A Sámi tour guide in Tromsø, northern Norway,
known as Romsa in the Sámi language
©
SHUTTERSTOCK
