Dialectological research in Norway

Abstract

Since dialects have not been in the focus of linguists for a long time, systematic research in this field dates back only to the 19th century. Dialectology as a scientific field began to develop in the 1920s, following the German writer Jacob Grimm's justification of the need for a historical approach to language. At that time, the renowned dialectologist Johann Andreas Schmeller also published several dialectological works. Thus, historical dialectology studies the dialects existing in a specific area, their linguistic features, and is referred to as regional dialectology, dialect geography, or traditional dialectology. However, modern dialectological research is primarily focused on studying each dialect and individual language separately. Additionally, dialects have been studied in comparison with other dialects or in relation to literary language and specific historical contexts. Modern dialectology encompasses various linguistic methods and approaches that present language differences through the analysis of corpus data and the application of modern technologies in linguistics.

Furthermore, the historical factors of the period influence dialectological studies, determining their characteristics. Research conducted in the field of Norwegian dialectology is no exception in this regard. Thus, it is reasonable to consider the main historical periods that have influenced the Norwegian language as the Middle Ages (VIII-XIV), the period of National Romanticism (1830-1867), and the period of independence (1905-). It was during these periods that the Norwegian language and dialects were formed, developed and preserved.