Dansk Sprognævn
Encyclopedia
Dansk Sprognævn is the official regulatory body of the Danish language
as a part of the Danish Ministry of Culture, and resides at the University of Copenhagen
. It was established in 1955. The committee has three main objectives:
The working members of the committee follow written and broadcast media, read books to keep track of new words and record their usage. New words which have appeared enough in print and speech to be considered notable are added to Retskrivningsordbogen, which all government institutions and schools are obliged by law to follow. The committee receives some 14,000 inquiries by phone or mail each year about the Danish language
, half of them from private companies, but also by private citizens.
Dansk Sprognævn cooperates on a daily basis with its equivalents in the other Scandinavia
n countries, the Swedish
and Norwegian Language Council
s, to make sure that the three Mainland Scandinavian languages
, which are more or less mutually intelligible, do not diverge more than necessary from one another.
Danish language
Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...
as a part of the Danish Ministry of Culture, and resides at the University of Copenhagen
University of Copenhagen
The University of Copenhagen is the oldest and largest university and research institution in Denmark. Founded in 1479, it has more than 37,000 students, the majority of whom are female , and more than 7,000 employees. The university has several campuses located in and around Copenhagen, with the...
. It was established in 1955. The committee has three main objectives:
- to follow the development of the language
- to answer inquiries about the Danish language and its use
- to update the official Danish dictionary, Retskrivningsordbogen
The working members of the committee follow written and broadcast media, read books to keep track of new words and record their usage. New words which have appeared enough in print and speech to be considered notable are added to Retskrivningsordbogen, which all government institutions and schools are obliged by law to follow. The committee receives some 14,000 inquiries by phone or mail each year about the Danish language
Danish language
Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...
, half of them from private companies, but also by private citizens.
Dansk Sprognævn cooperates on a daily basis with its equivalents in the other Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
n countries, the Swedish
Swedish Language Council
The Swedish Language Council is the primary regulatory body for the advancement and cultivation of the Swedish language. The council is partially funded by the Swedish government and has semi-official status...
and Norwegian Language Council
Norwegian Language Council
The Norwegian Language Council was the regulation authority for the Norwegian language. It has been superseded by The Language Council of Norway .The council had 38 members, and created lists of acceptable word forms...
s, to make sure that the three Mainland Scandinavian languages
North Germanic languages
The North Germanic languages or Scandinavian languages, the languages of Scandinavians, make up one of the three branches of the Germanic languages, a sub-family of the Indo-European languages, along with the West Germanic languages and the extinct East Germanic languages...
, which are more or less mutually intelligible, do not diverge more than necessary from one another.