The New International Encyclopædia/Knudsen, Knud

KNUDSEN, knōōd'sen, (1812-95). A Norwegian philologist. He is best known as the leader in the so-called Danish-Norwegian language movement, as opposed to the Norse movement headed by Ivar Aasen (q.v.). His aim was to give a more Norwegian coloring to the literary language of Norway by adapting the orthography and syntax to Norwegian usage, and by substituting wherever it was possible Norwegian words for foreign derivatives. The most comprehensive treatment of the subject may be found in his Unorsk og norsk, eller Fremmedords avlösning (1879-81). While Knudsen was extreme in his views and frequently erred through a lack of thorough philological training, he exercised a decisive influence upon his contemporaries, especially Björnstjerne Björnson, and the present form of Norwegian-Danish is largely the result of his agitation. He died March 4, 1895.