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The history of the Norwegian language is deeply intertwined with the country’s political and cultural shifts. Norwegian originated from Old Norse, the language of the Vikings, which was spoken across Scandinavia during the early Middle Ages. After Norway entered a union with Denmark in the 14th century, Danish became the dominant written language in the region, overshadowing Norwegian. This Danish influence persisted for over 400 years, resulting in Norwegian being largely spoken, while written forms were predominantly in Danish. The separation of Denmark and Norway in 1814 and the subsequent union with Sweden led to a movement to reclaim and standardize a distinctly Norwegian language.

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In the 19th century, as Norway moved toward independence, linguists and nationalists began pushing for the revival of Norwegian as a separate written language. This resulted in the creation of two primary written standards: Bokmål, derived from the Danish-influenced written language, and Nynorsk, which was based on rural dialects. The development of these two standards sparked debates about linguistic identity, with Bokmål being more widely used due to its historical connection with Danish. Nynorsk, however, was promoted by those seeking a closer connection to Norway's rural and folk traditions. Today, both Bokmål and Nynorsk are official languages in Norway, although Bokmål remains more dominant. The Harry Potter books are written in Bokmål.

To hear the 1st paragraph of the Norwegian Philosopher's Stone, Click Here.

in 2001, Harry Potter was published by N.W. Damm & Son A.S. The books were first published using Mary GrandPre cover art, but other editions have since followed. All 7 book shave been published. Alongside hard and softcover books, there are also book club editions.

Philosopher's Stone

Harry Potter og de Vises Stein

ISBN: 8257412767

Harry Potter og Føniksordenen

ISBN: 8249603486

ISBN: 9788204086600

ISBN: 9788204108128

ISBN: 9788204108135

ISBN: 9788204154712

Prisoner of Azkaban
Goblet of Fire
Order of the Phoenx
Half-Blood Prince

ISBN: 9788202434687

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ISBN: 9788202434717

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THis neat little Norwegian set was published in 2001. It is on the harder-to-find side, especially for less than $250. I don't personally have this set - Thanks Terrell for information and photos! These books wer enot sold separately.

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Set ISBN: 8249601203

Like many other countries, there are Book Club Editions available! The orange and green BCE is one of the prettier book clubs I've seen. I actually tried to buy this book awhile back and sale fell through. BUT, at some point I do plan on getting my own copy! Thanks Terrell for photos and information!

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