bokmål

bokmål — noun

1. the main written standard of Norwegian, formed over time by making older Danish

1.nounC2
Definition

the main written standard of Norwegian, formed over time by making older Danish writing more Norwegian in spelling and usage

Example

The new textbook teaches Bokmål before introducing other Norwegian writing forms.

teach Bokmål as a writing standard

Mert writes his work emails in Bokmål because most clients expect it.

write emails in Bokmål

Common collocations
  • learn Bokmål
  • write in Bokmål
  • translate into Bokmål
  • text in Bokmål
Synonyms
  • written Norwegian

    a broader English label that can include both Bokmål and Nynorsk, so it is less exact

  • Dano-Norwegian

    historical term for the older written variety from which modern Bokmål developed

Antonyms
  • Nynorsk

    the other official written standard of Norwegian

Grammar Patterns

in Bokmål

learn Bokmål

translate into Bokmål

Usage Note

Used for the written standard seen in school materials, publishing, and public information. When speakers mean everyday spoken Norwegian, they usually name a dialect or simply say Norwegian instead.

Common Mistakes

Most Norwegians speak Bokmål at home.
Most official documents in Norway are written in Bokmål.
Bokmål names a written standard, not the everyday speech of all Norwegians.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Bokmål is one of the two official written standards of Norwegian. Nynorsk is the other, and it was shaped more directly from Norwegian dialects, while Bokmål grew out of Danish writing used in Norway and later reforms. Written Norwegian is a broad English label, so it can refer to either standard and is less exact than Bokmål. Dano-Norwegian usually names the older historical stage before the modern reforms, not the present-day standard taught in most schools. In practice, people say a notice, textbook, or website is in Bokmål when it uses the spelling that most Norwegian newspapers and public institutions use. A school notice may appear in Bokmål, while a parallel version is printed in Nynorsk.

Bokmål ↗Nynorsk ↗written NorwegianDano-Norwegian

Common collocations

Nouns

  • Bokmål textbook
  • Bokmål article
  • Bokmål website

Phrases

  • learn Bokmål
  • write in Bokmål
  • translate into Bokmål

Prepositions

  • in Bokmål
  • into Bokmål

Etymology

Old NorseNorwegian

The name Bokmål is Norwegian in origin: bok means 'book' and mål means 'language' or 'form of speech'. The modern term came to be used for the written standard that developed in Norway from older Danish writing and was gradually made more Norwegian in spelling and usage.

First known use

1931

1931, in the meaning defined above