Even today, many of the old line Norwegian families send their kids back to Norway for several summers in their teen years to visit relatives and keep in touch with their heritage. There are Norwegian classes at the tech school. I never thought about it, but I suppose they teach the “book language”. The cousins also visit here, in exchange. So, perhaps in a generation the locals will be speaking a more modern Norwegian. Although, again, I find it fascinating that the Sognefjord dialect is still so separate. Our Norwegian locals still put on national costumes for Syttende Mai and it is a local holiday.
Since you are Norwegian, I must ask: have you seen the Netflix series “Lilyhammer”? If so, I wonder what a Norwegian thinks of the portrayal of their country and if it is accurate, in your opinion?
‘Lilyhammer’ is the most watched drama series in the history of Norwegian TV. We watch it every Wed. night. For the most part it’s pretty accurate...some of the Norwegian characters are a little cartoonish.
It’s just not the Sognefjord dialect its a lot of dialects in the west, the north and even ‘up in some valley’. My sister-in-law (from Tromsø) and her son (raised in Oslo area) still argue over how to pronounce words.
A little trivia, no one actually speaks bokmål the closest someone gets is the west Oslo dialect, where I live.
Ha det!