# Norwegian: mål and språk



## Thomas1

In one All languages kind of thread a forer@ from Norway translated _One world, one language_ as:


> *Norwegian (bokmål)*: en verden, ett språk
> _Source_


I know that _bokmål_ was literally translated into English as _book language_. Are there two words for _language_ in Norwegian then? If so I am very much interested in the difference(s) between them. Some examples of usage (with literal translations) would also be greatly appreciated. 

Many thanks,
Tom


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## Jayjay

bokmål is the *kind *of Norwegian the person was translating into. You can read about it on wikipedia, for example.


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## Setwale_Charm

Do you mean that Nynorsk would use a different word for "language"?


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## Lilla My

I'm really not sure but maybe it's the same difference than "tongue" and "language" ? (in french langue et langage)
For example "mother tongue" is "morsmål" not "morsspråk"
(but you can say "mother language", so... )

You also use *målstriden* for the conflict between bokmål and nynorsk. But you learn *språkvitenskap* and *det engelske språket *or others *fremmedspråk.*
Maybe mål = dialekt ?


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## Jayjay

Here are two cites; the first is a glossary of words/phrases in bokmål and nynork; the second is a bokmål-nynorsk dictionary. I do not, however, know how different the two are. Looking at the glossary with my Danish background, a lot of times I understand both words, but sometimes not. You'll have to ask a Norwegian what the difference really is - and who uses what!
http://www.sprakrad.no/Ordboeker/Fra_bokmaal_til_nynorsk/

http://www.dokpro.uio.no/ordboksoek.html


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## Lemminkäinen

*Språk* (from German) is what's usually used when talking about languages. 

I think Lilla_My may be right about *mål* (from Norse) being used more to mean dialect, or at least the spoken language. Generally, it can be translated as "tongue" (The Old Tongue in Robert Jordan's _Wheel of Time_ series is translated as *det gamle tungemålet*).

*Målmann* is someone who's actively fighting for nynorsk, and you have words like *bymål, riksmål, sognemål* that describes dialects, so yes, I think that's the difference.

I wouldn't go so far as to say there are two words for "language" though, as *mål* is mostly just used in fixed words and expressions.


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## Jayjay

You call him a målmann? Then what do you call a goalie?


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## Lemminkäinen

Jayjay said:


> You call him a målmann? Then what do you call a goalie?



Haha, yes, I thought of that actually  Well, målmann isn't a very usual word (with the language meaning) anyway.
A goal keeper is usually just called *keeper*, but the more Norwegian word for it is *målvakt*.


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## Jayjay

Lemminkäinen said:


> but the more Norwegian word for it is *målvakt*.


 
hehe... in Danish it's målmand, thus the pun (for me, anyway)


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## Lugubert

Not too surprisingly, we have a certain distinction between 'mål' and 'språk' in Swedish as well. The way I perceive it, 'mål' is rather oldfashioned but sometimes used when referring to Swedish dialects, especially rural ones, while 'språk' works in any context.

Try translating "The cat got your tongue?" into Swedish. It should be "Har du inte mål i mun?" ("Don't you have any 'mål'/speech in your mouth?")


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## Lemminkäinen

Lugubert said:


> Try translating "The cat got your tongue?" into Swedish. It should be "Har du inte mål i mun?" ("Don't you have any 'mål'/speech in your mouth?")



Similarly, there's a Norwegian expression: *å være målløs* - "to be without speech (_mål_/speechless)"


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## Jayjay

it's the same in Danish - I never thought about why, though


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