Norsk Riksmålsordbok is a Norwegian dictionary

Dictionary

A dictionary is a collection of words in one or more specific languages, often listed alphabetically, with usage information, definitions, etymologies, phonetics, pronunciations, and other information; or a book of words in one language with their equivalents in another, also known as a lexicon...

. The work was initiated by Riksmaalsvernet around 1920. Its first edition was completed in 1957, and was printed in four volumes. Two extra volumes were issued in 1995. Editors for volume 1, 2 and 3 were Trygve Knudsen

Trygve Knudsen

Trygve Knudsen was a Norwegian philologist, linguist and lexicographer.-Personal life:Knudsen was born in Tønsberg as the son of lawyer Knud Peder Knudsen and Henriette von Lachmann Mørck...

 and Alf Sommerfelt

Alf Sommerfelt

Alf Sommerfelt , was a Norwegian linguist and the first professor of linguistics in Norway, working at the University of Oslo from 1931 to 1962.-Linguistics work:...

, and volume 4 had the same two editors, in addition to Harald Noreng

Harald Noreng

Harald Noreng was a Norwegian literary researcher and lexicographer.-Personal life:He was born in Hisøy as the son of boat builder Johan Wilhelm Hanssen and Kathrine Marie Pettersen . He changed his last name from Hanssen to Noreng in 1933. In February 1941 he married jurist Alice Schwabe-Hansen...

. Noreng was editor for volume 5 and 6, from 1995.

Background

Following a speech by teacher and language activist Jens Mørland in 1918, Riksmaalsvernet was founded 30 October 1919. A dictionary committee was established at a meeting 12 December 1919, and started its work after some delay in 1921.

A preliminary wordlist issued by Riksmaalsvernet in March 1921 led to a fierce linguistics

Linguistics

Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....

 debate in newspapers and in the cultural and literary magazine Samtiden

Samtiden

Samtiden is a Norwegian political and literary magazine. It was founded by Jørgen Brunchorst and Gerhard Gran in 1890. The magazine's first publisher was John Griegs forlag , and from 1900 Aschehoug . Gran was the magazine's editor from 1892 to 1925. Cathrine Sandnes has been editor-in-chief from...

. In 1922 Alf Sommerfelt

Alf Sommerfelt

Alf Sommerfelt , was a Norwegian linguist and the first professor of linguistics in Norway, working at the University of Oslo from 1931 to 1962.-Linguistics work:...

 was appointed as editor for the dictionary. Trygve Knudsen joined the work in 1924, and was co-editor for the project from July 1925. Harald Noreng

Harald Noreng

Harald Noreng was a Norwegian literary researcher and lexicographer.-Personal life:He was born in Hisøy as the son of boat builder Johan Wilhelm Hanssen and Kathrine Marie Pettersen . He changed his last name from Hanssen to Noreng in 1933. In February 1941 he married jurist Alice Schwabe-Hansen...

 joined as secretary in 1938, and as co-editor from 1940. The dictionary was issued in parts, starting from 1930, and the work was completed in 1957, and printed in four volumes.
From 1981, the Norwegian Academy for Language and Literature

Norwegian Academy for Language and Literature

The Norwegian Academy for Language and Literature is a Norwegian learned body on matters pertaining to the Dano-Norwegian language. Its primary role is regulating the written standard known as Riksmål ....

 has been responsible for the dictionary. A reprint of the four volumes was issued in 1983, and again in 1991.

Following the issue of the four volumes, plans for an additional volume were initiated. After Sommerfelt's death in 1965, and Knudsen's death in 1968, Noreng continued this work. Noreng's extra material resulted in two new volumes, issued in 1995 as volume five and six of the dictionary.

The dictionary work continues in cooperation with the publishing house Kunnskapsforlaget

Kunnskapsforlaget

Kunnskapsforlaget is a Norwegian publishing company based in Oslo that concentrates on encyclopedias, encyclopedic books, textbooks, and dictonaries. The company, created in 1975, is owned by Gyldendal Norsk Forlag and Aschehoug ....

, under the name Det Norske Akademis store ordbok (new name from 2005), and the goal is a revised and extended edition to be completed in 2014.