Norwegian Language Council The Norwegian Language Council (1974–2005) had the task of safeguarding the cultural heritage represented by the Norwegian
written and
spoken language, promoting measures that can increase knowledge of the
Norwegian language, promoting tolerance and mutual respect between everyone who uses the Norwegian language in its various variants, and protecting the rights of the individual person when it comes to the use of language. Among the most important tasks of the council were standardization of Bokmål and Nynorsk, linguistic advice and linguistic quality assurance of
textbooks. In 2000, the council was tasked with working with the Norwegian language and
information technology. The Norwegian Language Council registered
new words, put forward proposals for replacement words instead of English import words and promoted measures to ensure linguistic equality between Bokmål and Nynorsk. The council published the publications
Språknytt and
Statspråk. It had 38 members, which represented different stakeholders, such as other language organisations including the
Norwegian Academy,
Riksmålsforbundet and
Noregs Mållag, but also the educational sector and the media. The council created lists of acceptable word forms. Some words previously had two forms, the official form which were to be used in government documents and textbooks, and optional forms, which could be used by students in state schools. However, after 2005 this difference no longer exists in the lists published by the Language Council of Norway.
Language Council of Norway In 2003, the
Storting agreed to a proposal to transform the Norwegian Language Council into a national competence center for the Norwegian language. The new body was established on 1 January 2005. In May 2005, it was decided to name the institution the Language Council. It no longer represents the language organizations. In 2005, the Language Service for state bodies was also established following a decision in the Storting. The Language Service has two equal tasks: to promote
plain language within the government and ensure more even distribution between Nynorsk and Bokmål in state documents.
Sylfest Lomheim served as the first director of the Council until 1 September 2010. Åse Wetås has been leading the Council since 2015.
Controversies In 2006, the Norwegian newspaper
Ny Tid requested that the council choose an alternative to the term "ethnic Norwegians" because the term might be alienating or exclusionary to
immigrants to Norway. In response, the council denied that immigrants were Norwegians or could ever become Norwegians, writing: "We do not believe that there is a need to replace ‘ethnic Norwegian’ by another term. We believe it is incorrect to call people from other countries ‘Norwegians’ because ‘Norwegian’ by definition refers to someone of ethnic Norwegian descent. A
Pakistani who settles in Norway does not become Norwegian, not even if he becomes a Norwegian citizen." The council's narrow definition of Norwegian identity sparked controversy in Norwegian news media and on Norwegian social media. ==The board==