Lars Alvik:
"1"
is unfair to nynorsk and politically very explosive.
Bokmål is, unlike nynorsk, can accualy be called a national language,
with 90% of the population speaking/writting in it.
I wish you would stop citing relative size as if it were an argument
which entitles
the *bigger* of the two languages to special treatment (such as the right to
call itself "the" Norwegian language).
You should perhaps look at Lars Aronsens mail:
http://mail.wikipedia.org/pipermail/wikipedia-l/2004-November/035836.html
its a clear and unbiased view on the conflict.
I have read it (and all other contributions to this discussion).
Aronsen does indeed
state that "There is an oppression component here, where the mere number of
people who prefer Bokmål creates a problem for the brave Nynorsk minority."
He does not use the number 90%, but rather 85% (which is probably pretty
close to being accurate). Remember, there are also Norwegian people without
any preference, who can write with equal ease in both languages.
The only numerical statistics I know about concerning the size of bokmål
vs. nynorsk, I found at a pro-nynorsk web site:
http://www.nm.no/english.cfm
It claims that 640 000 Norwegians (14%) use nynorsk as their primary
written language. The no: Wikipedia puts the number at 10%-12%. But
even if it were just 1%, nynorsk would still deserve fair (meaning equal)
treatment. At any rate, it is small enough for its users to scream
"oppression"
when the larger bokmål community carelessly ignores nynorsk's rights.
I do not wish to be part of conscious oppression of a minority language.
Ulf Lunde