Oslo dialect

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Oslo dialect (Norwegian: Vikamål and Østkantmål, translated Vika dialect and East End dialect) is a Norwegian dialect and the traditional dialect of Oslo, Norway. It must not be confused with the current native spoken language of Oslo, Standard East Norwegian.^[1] The Oslo dialect has been considered to be an extinct form of Norwegian, but there are surviving fragments of it, especially on the East End of Oslo.^[2][3]

Originally, the Oslo dialect was the dialect of the lower social strata, primarily the workers, farmers and peasants. The dialect is related to nearby East Norwegian dialects. After the industrialization of Oslo (Christiania/Kristiania) at the end of the 19th century, the Oslo dialect was almost exclusively associated with workers and the east end. As a contrast, the upper and middle classes would speak a language more akin to Dano-Norwegian.^[4] In the post-war period, much of the industry near the city centre was demolished. This contributed to the decline of the Oslo dialect.