# Norwegian - Skrift or skrivning?



## Ludus

I found in my dictionary both _skrift _and _skrivning _for the word "writing". I mean web writing and creative writing, I have to talk about writing in general. So, what's the difference between _skrift _and _skrivning_? If a difference exists...

Thanks.


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## seemeinmyoffice

First of all, I recommend you write "skriving" instead of "skrivning". 
As for the difference between _skrift_ and _skriving_ it is kinda hard to explain. But I'll give it a go!
When you open a book, you will see a lot of letters, _writing_, which is in Norwegian, _skrift_. _Skriving_ is more the execution of writing.

Examples: _
Skrift;_ You have beautiful hand_writing_
_Skriving_; I am _writing_ in my journal.

I hope this isn't too difficult to understand, and that it helps!


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## Ludus

Thanks, I found really skrivning and not skriving in the dictionary... nice to know the right word.

Understood the difference. So, if I have to create a blog on writing (web writing and creative writing, writing tips, and so on), the best name should be "Skriving" and not "Skrift", isn't it?


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## seemeinmyoffice

That is correct! You should use _skriving _and not _skrift_.


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## Åvävvla

seemeinmyoffice said:


> That is correct! You should use _skriving _and not _skrift_.



Why would _skrivning_ be incorrect?


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## seemeinmyoffice

It's not incorrect, but it's an older form, used in Dano-Norwegian. _Skriving _is the form that is mostly used in modern Norwegian.


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## Ludus

Ok... it seems I have bought the wrong name for my blog   Thanks a lot for your explanation.


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## Ludus

Do you mean that "skrivning" is only an old form, but by the modern era (I found in a dictionary from 1950s) or that is it bokmål and not nynorsk?


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## Ben Jamin

"Skriving" is the action of writing, while "skrift" is the result of writing. Skrift has also two meanings: physical (the written letters) or  abstract (the complete text with its meaning).


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## NorwegianNYC

Ludus said:


> Do you mean that "skrivning" is only an old form, but by the modern era (I found in a dictionary from 1950s) or that is it bokmål and not nynorsk?



Keep in mind that a dictionary is not a record of how the language ought to be or is at the moment, but how it how it has been up until recently. A dictionary from 1950 contains forms common 70-80 years ago, and _skrivning_ was then the dominant form. However, since then, Norwegian has lost a lot of the -ning forms and replaced them with -ing.


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