NORWEGIAN LANGUAGE, The language which, together with Icelandic and Faroese, forms the \Vest Norse division of the Scandinavian group. Like the other members of this group division, the Norwegian is more homogeneous than either Danish o• Swedish. Chielly as a re sult. of phonetic changes its infleetions are less original than those of Icelandic•, although it retains the three genders. Its pollution Scandi navian are the suffixed definite artiele, the medio-passive, and the neuter-ending -1. Norwegian was divided at on early period into two main dialect-groups, the Eastern, in cluding the Conlbrandsdal and the Drontheim, which resembles the Swedish, and the NVestern, repro-se/111'11 by II ardanger, ts:ogn. and Sa•tersdal, which approaehcs the led:Indic. A subdivision of I be Vest Norwegian, spoken along the coast. resembles the Danish, The early period of the language is similar to that of Icelandic (q.v.). During the period from 1350 to 1531) Norwegian was strongly influenced first Icy the Swedish and later by the Danish. 1. a result of the Union of Calmar (1307), by which Norwegian independence was lost. Danish was substituted for the native language for purposes of literature and public business, al though the Norw(.gion serviced in the country districts in various dialects, and was used for social intercourse and the composition of folk twles and ballads. The modern stand:n•tl Ian gunge shows many divergencies both in forms, in vocabulary, and in syntax from the Danish of Denmark, and is generally distinguished from it as Dano-Norwegian. By the Norwegians them selves the dialects and the standard language are alike called Norse, but this usage is not recognized by scholars. During the last fifty years ellorts have been made to emphasise the Nornt•gian character of the language by adapt ing its orthography io local promineiation. and by introducing forms from the specell.
1)ano•Norwegiau has been de•eribetl as Danish with a Swedish prommeiation, peculiar language movement in Norway is attracting attention throughout Scandinavia. It i- no less than the creation and spread of a new form of Scandinavian speech, called by its originator, Isar Aasen Landsmaa/ tional tongue). it is a written language, not used for social interconrse, and is based upon the existing dialects of Norway. At first this artificial language was used exclusively in poe try, but in IS5S the first newspaper in the Laud smaal appeared, and since then it has spread rapidly. In 1868 a society for the propagation of the new idea was established, branches of which now exist all over Norway. A number of acts have been passed by the Parliament in favor of the Land.snmat, among which may he mentioned that founding a chair in that sub ject at the University of Christiania. At pres ent all acts of Parliament are published both in Damo-No•wegiars nnd the Landsmaa/. The principal literary supporter of the movement is the novelist Arne Garborg. Consult : Sargent, Gratnurar• of the Dano-Norwegian Language (Ox 1892) : Groth. Danish and Da Gra tutelar (Boston, I ) Poest ion, Lehr/inch tier norwegischen S ;witch(' (2d ed., Vienna. 1900) ; Noreen, It iski ndisehe land a Thaw fregisehe Gram matik (2d col., Halle, 1892) : _\asen, Norsk (fram mat ik (Christiania, 1864), and Norsk Ordbog, with a supplement by Ross (ib., 1872-90) ; .Lar sen, o err de norske Bygdemaa! 180$) ; Larsen, Dictionary of the Dano-Norwc gian nd En al ish. Languages (3d ed., Copenhagen, 1897) Brynildsen. Diet ionary of the English and Dana-Norwegian Languages tilt_ 1900—) ; Falk and Torp, Etyrno/ogisk Ordboy art r (let norskr oy det danskc iSprog