The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1907-05-30
NORWAY.

INT champions OIL INC SO-Callcu
"Maalsag. or peasant dialest---the
"Maalsag," or peasant dialect the
fight for which be-
A Victory for the gan over a gener-
"Maalsag." alton ago. with
lvar Aasen and
Aasmnnd Olafson Vinje as leaders,
recently won Il notable victory. when
by a vote of 81 to 81 the Odelsthing
adopted Il resolution providing that
during the next five years the dialect
language may be substituted for the
| Dano-Norweg!an in the examinations
at the University of Christiania and
in the Latin schools throughout The
kingdom. That is to say. during the
next five years it is optional with the
students to make use of the dialect
language in written examinations pr
to continue using the Dano- Norwegian
as has been the practice in the past.
At the expiration of the five years
in question, it becomes obligatory 10
use the vernacular or dialect tongue
in the examinations. the purpose be-
ing to give Norway Il national Ian
guage, to be used in the courts. the
professions, i'll the schools and in lit
erature, distinct from the Danish,
| which was foisted upon Norway as
the official and polite speech. during
the period ending in 1914. when Nor
| way was ruled by the Danish kings.
1t is hoped that during these five
years the vernacular and the Dano-
Norwegian will be merged, through
! the infusion of dialect words, idioms
and phrases into the latter. Such
| writer's as Bjornson and lbsen have
already done much to amalgamate the
two languages by using dialect words
and by modifying Danish forms and
spelling, so that the language they
used in their works is quite different
in many respects from the standard
language of Denmark.
In the beginning the advocates of
the dialect language had an uphill
fight. being vigorously opposed not
only by the official class, but also by
some of the Norwegian authors. New
ertheless the "Maalstraev"-the fight
for the vernacular-went on, and
when Ivar Aascn and Vinje passed
away their places were taken by such
talented dialect writer's as Arne Gar
borg, Peer Sivle and others of lesser
note. Now that Norway has become
free and independent, the national
feeling has greatly increased and with
it IL desire to give the nation a
language of its own. AS the velnacu-
lar or dialect is spoken by Il vast ma
jority of the people. it is natural that
that language should be the basis of
the new. Already there is a professor
of the dialect language in the Univer-
sty OF Christiania, Marius Hextad.
and the victory of the "Maalsag" in
the Odelsthiny will doubtless be fol
lowed by IL similar victory in the
dagsthing, the other branch of the
stOrthing.
|
Christiania has been stirred to en-
thusiasm over visit from the king
and queen of Denmark. accompanied
by their retinue. King Frederick and
Queen Louise spent several days at
the palace of their royal son, King
Haakon of Norway, who delivered a
stirring address, full of filial love, in
their honor, to which King Frederick
responded with equal warmth and
cordially. Stronger bonds of friend
ship now unite Norway and Denmark
than ever before. and the people OF
Christiania are looking forward with
keen pleasure to other visits from the
royal family of Denmark.
The church department of the Nor
wegian government has given it's con-
sent to the tearing down of certain
parts of the great Domkirke at
Trondhjem. Those parts will be care
fully rebuilt next year, each stone to
be returned to it's original place so
far as possible. To insure this, the
stones are to be marked and number
ed as they are torn loose.
Capt. Road Amundsen, the explorer.
has received an invitation from st.
Petersburg to deliver a lecture there
May 81.
Dispatches from the I.ofoten islands
and other places in Norway, famous
for their fisheries, state that the fish
ermen have had remarkable luck this
year-better than for several seasons
past.
SWEDEN
According to the 'HelsingbOrg
Daily" the venerable King Oscar is
planning to re-
kim Oscar "a Re. sumo active duties