Are All Scandinavian Languages Basically the Same?

Similarities and Differences Today

A shared history doesn’t always mean a happy history, though. For four centuries, Danish was also the standard written language in Norway. Because of the nationalist backlash created by that, Norwegian now has two official forms of its written language. The differences between Bokmål and Nynorsk have their basis in how they relate to Danish – while Nynorsk sets itself in opposition to Danish influence and is based on local dialects, Bokmål is a Norwegianised version of Danish. Additionally, two other unrecognised forms exist which highlight the differences between the official varieties even further.