Tradition as innovation: Dialect revalorization and maximal orthographic distinction in rural Norwegian writing

Abstract

In rural Valdres, Norway, the traditional regional dialect, called Valdresmål, has become an important resource for popular style and local development projects. Stigmatized through much of the twentieth century for its association with poor, rural, “backward” farmers and culture, Valdresmål has been thoroughly revalorized, with particularly high status among local youth and those involved in business and tourism. While today’s parents and grandparents attest to historical pressures to adopt normative urban linguistic forms, many in Valdres now proclaim dialect pride and have re-embraced spoken Valdresmål in various forms of public, interdialectal communication. In addition, Valdres natives also make abundant and creative use of dialect on social media, the primary locus for written Valdresmål and for emergent orthographic norms representing local speech, including strategies of maximal sociolinguistic distinction. This innovative use of written Valdresmål has been taken up by local businesses as a marketing strategy in recent years, as well, further normalizing and legitimating nonstandard forms. In the ongoing revalorization of traditional Valdresmål, it is also, inevitably, transformed—linguistically, socially, and ideologically—as it enters and circulates within new and innovative cultural domains: while widespread written Valdresmål challenges the normal sociolinguistic order, in such a process the dialect is also refunctionalized and, perhaps, increasingly standardized.

The Differential Object Marker in Valencian: Another Failure of Prescriptivism

“…Currently, Bokmål, which is based on Danish norms, stands as the dominant standard. In contrast, Nynorsk, utilized by approximately 15% of the population, was developed by linguists after Norway gained independence in the late nineteenth century (Strand 2019). Strand (2019) affirmed the following: Nynork (previously called Landsmål 'language of the country') ought to include Norwegian linguistic forms and features that were furthest from, or least influenced by, Danish or Swedish.…”

“…In contrast, Nynorsk, utilized by approximately 15% of the population, was developed by linguists after Norway gained independence in the late nineteenth century (Strand 2019). Strand (2019) affirmed the following: Nynork (previously called Landsmål 'language of the country') ought to include Norwegian linguistic forms and features that were furthest from, or least influenced by, Danish or Swedish. The Nynorsk written norm thus emphasizes grammatical and lexical forms that were widespread in the "conservative" spoken dialects of Western and Midland Norway in the mid-to late nineteenth century, believed to be closest to Old Norwegian.…”

What Types of Chinese Rural Sports Attract Attention: Take the Village Basketball Association as an Example

“…The relationship between rural culture and the social media focuses on the content, the form, and the feedback loop between them [14][15] .The communication of rural culture refers to the act of communication where rural culture is used as a means of delivering information, which has potential for rural development and poverty alleviation [16] .No matter how great the rural culture is, it nonetheless requires novel forms of media to communicate it [17] .Modern media has revolutionized the form of expression of rural culture and is represented by new forms of electronic and digital media. This largely relies on technology for the delivery of information [18] ,preserve traditional techniques [19] ,expand the space for cultural development in rural societies [20] ,and facilitate cultural interaction between various classes [21] .The key to communicating rural culture lies in a threefold interaction of the cultural content, the immersion of local knowledge, and the implementation of emotional strategies [22] .The second of which is the utilization of new forms of communication, emphasizing the global interactive communication system of the internet [23] ,strengthening digital technologies [24] ,and fostering digital thinking among villagers [25] .…”

Norsk som digitalt samhandlingsspråk i fire familier med innvandrerbakgrunn – identitet og investering

“…Dette gjelder saerlig unge (Rotevatn, 2014), men også voksne (se for eksempel Røyneland, 2018), og avsender varierer språket med den de skriver til. Saeregne stavenormer for å understreke lokal egenart oppstår i disse skriftpraksisene, og ukonvensjonelle forkortelser er vanlig (Skog, 2009;Strand, 2019 Wolof er det mest talte språket i Senegal (80-90% av befolkningen), sammen med minoritetsspråk som fulfulde, joola og seereer. Siden fransk er offisielt språk og eneste undervisningsspråk i Senegal, og de andre senegalesiske språkene kun blir brukt til alfabetiseringskurs i uformell sektor, laerer de faerreste å skrive disse språkene.…”