About a five minute walk from where Gunnar Staalesen’s private detective Varg Veum had an office, is the office of Hordaland Mållag. Like the Bergen crime hero, they also hunt down lawbreakers. More specifically, those who break the language law. Or, as chairman Ane Landøy says: – They have written something in Bokmål that was supposed to be Nynorsk. Bokmål in Nynorskland How and when the public will use Nynorsk or Bokmål is determined in the Language Act. In Vestland, most of the information must be in Nynorsk. Of the county’s 43 municipalities, 41 use Nynorsk. Berre Bergen and the neighboring municipality of Askøy are so-called language-neutral municipalities, where Bokmål has a strong presence. Bergen and Askøy in blue are so-called language-neutral municipalities. The 41 red municipalities are Nynorsk municipalities. Nevertheless, Bokmål crept into job advertisements and signs from public bodies. But not past Hordaland Mållag. In their spare time, a dedicated team in the target team searches for language offenses in newspapers, on the internet and on signs. And find them. – Last year we sent complaints to over 32 different organizations that are obliged to follow the Language Act, says Landøy. In total, there are 104 complaints, including reprimands. Looking at the results, Landøy says the target group usually gets positive responses to the crime reports they send out. – If I get an answer at all, it is the answer of the type “Oi, sorry.” This was stupid. We’ll sort it out right away.” And someone turns words into action. At Arna station, the Bokmål signs had to give way to new, Norwegian Nynorsk signs after Hordaland Mållag pointed out the error. Photo: Brit Fosse Reigstad Among them is Øygarden Police Station, which now signs “opening hours” instead of “opening hours”. Or BaneNor, which put up new signs showing the way to Arna church. Landøy itself has an influence that she likes very well. – On the Skyss buses there were signs that said: “Stop”. Now it says “stops”. So I could see it right away. To news, Skyss says that they use Nynorsk in their communication with the public, and are happy for reminders when things go wrong. Hordaland Mållag saw a couple of stops for Bokmål on the buses in Vestland. Photo: Martin Værum Anda / news When they complained about the Bokmål sign at the Øygarden Police Station to the West Police District, they were of course thanked for pointing out the mistake. – It’s a tailwind, even if it can seem a bit sturdy, says organizational consultant Sahra Torsvik. Nynorsk in the wind There are good times for Nynorsk also outside the Nynorsk county of Vestland, according to Margrethe Kvarenes in the Language Council. As section leader for language in schools and public administration, she works, among other things, to ensure that state bodies comply with the Language Act. Last year’s report was not promising for Nynorsk. But now something is happening. – The Nynorsk language is on the way up in the state, and there is more Nynorsk visible in public places. Margrethe Kvarenes has the Language Act as her field of work, and believes that more people are concerned with fulfilling the Act’s requirements now. Photo: Moment Studio Kvarenes sees an increasing interest in the state in staying on the right side of the language act, and that several language organizations and individuals complain if they experience mistakes. – Does it help, do you think? – It helps. I know that. – Many people send us a copy of their complaint. If I see that there is an error that affects many people and that they do not get a response, I contact the people who are complaining and ask them to react. Many then correct the mistake they have made. Among the regulars in their inbox is Hordaland Mållag. – I often have contact with them. They just have to keep going, they are doing an important job. The long arm of the language law in Vestland agrees. – The more good examples there are out there, the more normalisation. Sometimes I don’t think people notice whether it’s in Nynorsk or Bokmål. And that’s nice, says chairman Ane Landøy. – But do they? – Yes, I do.
ttn-69
Jaktar breaks the language law in their spare time – news Vestland
