Norway is a country with a rich linguistic heritage, where the various dialects reflect the history and culture of different regions. In this post, we’ll dive into the four main dialect regions in Norway: Nordnorsk, Trøndersk, Vestlandsk, and Østnorsk, and explore what makes each of these so unique.
Why are there so many dialects in Norway?
If you weren’t aware of this, Norway is a huge country. Ok, let me rephrase that. Geographically speaking, Norway is a very long and narrow country. It spans across 1 770 km from south to north, and it would take you over 24 hours to drive along the frayed (or fjorded) edges from tip to toe – without ever stopping that is. If you want to get from one end to the other in a more efficient and less scenic way, it’s actually easier to drive over to Sweden and make the trip through there.
So, what does all of this mean? Throughout history, the different parts of the country weren’t as well connected as they are today – with planes and trains and cars. This meant that the different regions developed their own manner of speaking mostly undisturbed by neighboring parts over the course of hundreds of years.
The fact that Norway was for almost half a millennium annexed to Denmark made the linguistic situation even more interesting, given that Danish was the official written and spoken language of the country for so long.
How many dialects are there in Norway?
Now that we have an answer to the why, let’s take a look at another important question – how many? Short answer – nobody knows. Nobody knows exactly how many dialects there are in Norway. Some are localized only to very small villages, while others span across larger regions. What we do know is that officially there are four distinct dialect groups that can further be split into more and more subcategories, as you can see in the picture below.
How many dialects are there in Norway?
Now that we have an answer to the why, let’s take a look at another important question – how many? Short answer – nobody knows. Nobody knows exactly how many dialects there are in Norway. Some are localized only to very small villages, while others span across larger regions. What we do know is that officially there are four distinct dialect groups that can further be split into more and more subcategories, as you can see in the picture below.
The four groups are, as follows:
- Western Norwegian – Vestnorsk
- Eastern Norwegian – Østnorsk
- The Trøndelag dialect – Trøndersk
- Northern Norwegian – Nordnorsk
What makes each of these dialects unique?
1- Vestlandsk is the dialect of western Norway, and is known for its strong and robust speech pattern. This dialect is characterized by its use of hard consonants (like the so-called “skarre-r”), and a certain roughness that gives it a distinctive quality. Vestlandsk is also known for its unique vocabulary, which includes a number of regional words and phrases (vattn for water instead of vann, håve for head instead of hode). A few random characteristics of Vestlandsk:
- The use of a special type of r-sound (skarre-r, similar to the French r)
- The infinitive verb ending is with an -a in Stavanger and areas around Bergen (but not in Bergen)
- Stavanger dialect often replaces the “k” in a middle of a word with a “g” (kake – kaga, bake – baga, like – lige)
2- Østnorsk, is the dialect of eastern Norway and the Oslo-area, and is known for its crisp and clear speech pattern. This dialect is characterized by its use of simple, straightforward language, and a straightforward pronunciation. Østnorsk is also known for its distinct vocabulary, which includes a number of technical and scientific terms. It is the one most often taught to those who are learning Norwegian as a foreign language, what is most often spoken in movies, and the easiest one to understand. Some random characteristics of Østnorsk:
- Østnorsk dialects don’t replace hv- with k-, unlike many other dialects
- Østnorsk dialects typically pronounce the final -r and final -t in verbs, whereas they are often dropped in many other dialects
- Vowels are more open in østnorsk dialects
3- Trøndersk, on the other hand, is the dialect of central Norway and is known for its distinct melody and rhythm. The Trøndersk dialect is often described as musical and flowing, with a rhythm that can be quite different from the more straightforward speech patterns of other dialects. This dialect is also characterized by its unique pronunciation, which includes a number of guttural sounds. Here are some interesting characteristics of this dialect group:
- Hv- words are replaced with either k- or kv- (hverandre to kvarainner)
- “Levelling” in some of the distinct Trøndersk dialects (not all) – a vowel in the middle of the word and the vowel at the end of the word become the same or very similar (uke to vukku/vækka, være to vårrå/vætte)
- Palatalization of “n” and “l” is common in Trøndersk (vann to vannj, han to hanj, ball to baill)
4- Nordnorsk is the dialect of northern Norway, where the harsh climate and remote communities have resulted in a distinct language. This dialect is characterized by a slow and deliberate speech pattern, with a strong emphasis on pronunciation. In addition, Nordnorsk features a number of unique words and phrases that are not found in other dialects. And lastly, here are some interesting characteristics of Nordnorsk (in no way exhaustive):
- Hv- is usually replaced by a k-
- The front vowels – i, y, e – are lower and are pronounced more like e, ø, and æ respectively. (This is also found in Trøndersk)
- Very colourful vocabulary when it comes to swear words (hæstkuk – horse cock, kuklæst – cock sock)
A quick peek at the different dialects
To show the beautiful and often confusing variety of the dialects, let us look at some comparisons of common words, mainly personal pronouns. This is just the way they are written of course, as a way to illustrate the pronunciation.
| English | Bokmål (written language) | Nynorsk (written language) | Southwestern Norway | Western and Southern Norway | Trøndelag and Northern Norway |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | Jeg | Eg | Jé, jè, jei | Eg, e, æ, æg, æi, æig, jeg, ej, i | Æ, æg, i, eig, jæ, e, eg |
| You | Du | Du | Du, ru, u | Du, dø, døø, døh | Du, dæ, dø, u, dæ’æ |
| He | Han | Han | Hæn, hænnom (dative) | Han, an, ha’an | Han,Hanj, hin, hån, n |
| She | Hun | Hu | Hun, ho, hu, ha, a, henner | Hun, ho, hu, hau, hon, u | Hun, hu, ho, a |
| It | Det | Det | Det | Det, da, d’ | Det, da, dæ, e, denj, ta |
| We | Vi | Vi, me | Vi, oss, øss, æss, vårs | Vi, me, mi, mø | Vi, åss, oss, åkke, me, mi |
| You | Dere | De, dykk, dokker | Dere, ere, døkk, dø | Dere, då(k)ke, dåkkar, dåkk, de, derr, dåkki, dikko(n), deke, deko | Dåkk, dåkke, dåkker, dåkkæ, dere, ere, dykk, di |
| They | De, dem | Dei | Dem, rem, ‘rdem, em, døm, dom | De, dei, dæ, di, di’i | Dei, dem, dæm, ’em, di, r’ej |
A final thought and a quick reassurance
The dialects of Norway offer a glimpse into the linguistic richness of the country and showcase its diverse history and culture. So, when you find yourself in the land of the fjords, take a moment to listen to the locals and enjoy the unique pronunciations and rhythm of their dialects.
Though we understand that this might seem scary if you are learning the language, we would like to take a moment to assure you that it’s not as bad as it sounds. Most of these dialects are pretty easy to understand once your ears have sharpened your ears a little bit, and it’s more than enough for you to stick to what you know. The truly fun thing in Norway is that dialects are a part of people’s identity, so they very rarely try to actively get rid of their specific way of speaking when moving to different parts of the country.
