Definition

1. Proper noun:
   • A historical name for a written standard of Norwegian: "Riksmaal" refers to a specific written form of the Norwegian language that was officially renamed "Bokmål" in 1929. It represents one of the two official written standards of Norway, historically based on the Danish-influenced written language used in cities.

Usage Examples

• Proper noun:
  • The debate between Riksmaal and Landsmål was a central issue in Norwegian language policy.
  • Before 1929, what we now call Bokmål was formally known as Riksmaal.

Advanced Usage

• Historical and linguistic context: The term "Riksmaal" is primarily used in historical or academic discussions about the evolution of the Norwegian language. It signifies the state of the language before the official spelling reforms and name change.
  • Scholars study the transition from Riksmaal to Bokmål to understand modern Norwegian orthography.

Variants and Related Words

• Bokmål (n): The contemporary name for the written standard, meaning "book language."
• Landsmål (n): The historical name for the other written standard, now called "Nynorsk" (New Norwegian).
• Nynorsk (n): The modern name for the written standard based on rural Norwegian dialects.

Synonyms

• Bokmål: The direct modern synonym.
• Dano-Norwegian: A historical term highlighting its linguistic roots.

Notes on Meaning

• The word "Riksmaal" is an obsolete spelling. The modern Norwegian spelling for the historical term is "riksmål" (without the double 'a'). It is crucial to understand this word as a proper noun referring to a specific historical language variant, not a general concept.

Noun

1. in 1929 this dialect of Norwegian was officially renamed Bokmal