''Norsk Riksmålsordbok'' () is a Norwegian

dictionary A dictionary is a listing of lexemes from the lexicon of one or more specific languages, often arranged alphabetically (or by radical and stroke for ideographic languages), which may include information on definitions, usage, etymologies ...

for the unofficial written language form

Riksmål (, also , ) is a written Norwegian language form or spelling standard, meaning the ''National Language'', closely related and now almost identical to the dominant form of Bokmål, known as . Both Bokmål and Riksmål evolved from the Danish wri ...

. The work was initiated by ''Riksmaalsvernet'' around 1920. Its first edition was completed in 1957, and was printed in four volumes. Two extra volumes were issued in 1995. Editors for volume 1, 2 and 3 were

Trygve Knudsen Trygve Knudsen (23 June 1897 – 18 January 1968) was a Norwegian philologist, linguist and lexicographer. Personal life Knudsen was born in Tønsberg as the son of lawyer Knud Peder Knudsen (1863–1937) and Henriette von Lachmann Mørc ...

and

Alf Sommerfelt Alf Sommerfelt (November 23, 1892October 12, 1965), was a Norwegian linguist and the first professor of linguistics in Norway, working at the University of Oslo from 1931 to 1962. Personal life Sommerfelt was born in Trondheim, Norway. He marri ...

, and volume 4 had the same two editors, in addition to

Harald Noreng Harald Noreng (25 April 1913 – 7 February 2006) was a Norwegian literary researcher and lexicographer. Personal life He was born on the island of Hisøya in the municipality of Hisøy in 1913. He was the son of boat builder Johan Wilhelm Ha ...

. Noreng was editor for volume 5 and 6, from 1995.

Background

Following a speech by teacher and language activist Jens Mørland in 1918,Printed in ''Riksmålsbladet'' (1919, issue 42). ''Riksmaalsvernet'' was founded 30 October 1919. A dictionary committee was established at a meeting 12 December 1919, and started its work after some delay in 1921. A preliminary wordlist issued by ''Riksmaalsvernet'' in March 1921 led to a fierce

linguistics Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. It is called a scientific study because it entails a comprehensive, systematic, objective, and precise analysis of all aspects of language, particularly its nature and structure. Linguis ...

debate in newspapers and in the cultural and literary magazine ''

Samtiden ''Samtiden'' is a Norwegian political and literary magazine. History and profile ''Samtiden'' was founded by Jørgen Brunchorst and Gerhard Gran in 1890. The magazine's first publisher was ''John Griegs forlag'' (Bergen), and from 1900 Aschehoug ...

''. In 1922

was appointed as editor for the dictionary. Trygve Knudsen joined the work in 1924, and was co-editor for the project from July 1925.

joined as secretary in 1938, and as co-editor from 1940. The dictionary was issued in parts, starting from 1930, and the work was completed in 1957, and printed in four volumes. From 1981, the

Norwegian Academy for Language and Literature The Norwegian Academy for Language and Literature ( no, Det Norske Akademi for Språk og Litteratur), commonly known as the Norwegian Academy, is a Norwegian learned body on matters pertaining to the modern Norwegian language in its Dano-Norwegian ...

has been responsible for the dictionary. A reprint of the four volumes was issued in 1983, and again in 1991. Following the issue of the four volumes, plans for an additional volume were initiated. After Sommerfelt's death in 1965, and Knudsen's death in 1968, Noreng continued this work. Noreng's extra material resulted in two new volumes, issued in 1995 as volume five and six of the dictionary. The dictionary work continues in cooperation with the publishing house

Kunnskapsforlaget Kunnskapsforlaget () is a Norwegian publishing company based in Oslo. Kunnskapsforlaget was established in 1975, as a partnership between H. Aschehoug & Co. (W. Nygaard) and Gyldendal Norsk Forlag. The purpose was to co-operate on publishing e ...

, under the name ''Det Norske Akademis store ordbok'' (new name from 2005), and the goal is a revised and extended edition to be completed in 2014.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Norsk Riksmalsordbok Norwegian dictionaries