Marius Hægstad

Marius Hægstad (born 14 December 1850, died 17 April 1927) was a Norwegian educator, linguist, and politician. He is best known for his contributions to the development and standardization of Nynorsk, one of the two written standards of the Norwegian language.

Hægstad dedicated much of his career to promoting Nynorsk, which was created by Ivar Aasen based on rural dialects, as an alternative to Bokmål, which was historically closer to Danish. He believed Nynorsk represented a more authentic Norwegian linguistic tradition.

He worked as a schoolteacher for many years and later became a professor of Norse language at the University of Oslo. He was heavily involved in the standardization process of Nynorsk orthography and grammar, participating in various language commissions and committees. His contributions helped shape the language into its modern form.

Beyond linguistics, Hægstad was also active in politics. He served as a Member of Parliament for the Liberal Party (Venstre) for several terms. His political work often focused on issues related to education and language policy, advocating for the recognition and support of Nynorsk within the Norwegian education system and society.

Hægstad’s published works include textbooks, grammars, and dictionaries related to Nynorsk. These publications were instrumental in teaching and promoting the language, helping to solidify its place within Norwegian culture. His efforts were pivotal in establishing Nynorsk as a living language with its own literature, media, and cultural institutions.