Kven language facts for kids

The Kven language is a Finnic language spoken by the Kven people in northern Norway. It is very similar to the Finnish language.

In 2005, the Kven language was officially recognized as a minority language in Norway. This decision was made for important political and historical reasons.

What is the Kven Language?

The Kven language is a language spoken by the Kven people. They live in the northern parts of Norway. It is part of the Finnic languages family. This family also includes Finnish and Estonian.

Kven and Finnish: A Close Connection

Many experts see Kven as a dialect of the Finnish language. This means they are very similar. People who speak Kven and people who speak Finnish can usually understand each other. This is called being "mutually intelligible."

The Kven language is often grouped with other dialects. These include the Peräpohjola dialects. One example is Meänkieli, which is spoken in the Torne Valley in Sweden. These dialects are all very close to standard Finnish.

Why is Kven a Minority Language?

Even though it is very similar to Finnish, Kven was given special status. It became an official minority language in Norway in 2005. This was an important step.

This decision was made for political and historical reasons. It helps protect the language and the culture of the Kven people. Giving it minority status means it gets special support. This support helps keep the language alive.

The European Charter for Minority Languages

The decision to make Kven a minority language followed rules. These rules come from the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. This charter is an agreement. It helps protect languages that are not widely spoken. It sets guidelines for countries to support their minority languages.