Description

Why did a rural dialect from the heart of Norwegian farm country win a national dialect popularity contest? How could such a contest take place as a form of popular entertainment to begin with? What were the effects of this win, and what has happened to the winning dialect since?

A Winning Dialect tells the story of linguistic and cultural transformation in the rural district of Valdres, Norway. It shows how lifelong residents have adapted to changing social, economic, and political circumstances - particularly the shift from family farming to tourism development - and how they have used local linguistic and cultural resources to craft a viable future for themselves and the places their ancestors have called home for centuries. Once stigmatized as poor and uneducated, today the distinctive dialect of Valdres holds a special place as a valuable part of Norwegian national heritage, as well as a marker of local belonging. Based on two decades of research and fieldwork, A Winning Dialect considers how a traditional dialect is transformed - linguistically and culturally - as it is put to new uses in the contemporary world.