How did Ivar Aasen create a literary language based on rural Norwegian dialects?

Ivar Aasen created the written standard of Nynorsk (New Norwegian) by conducting an extensive survey of contemporary Norwegian rural dialects, which he identified as the true descendants of Old Norwegian.1

Rejecting the Danish-influenced written language used in Norway at the time, Aasen sought to establish a "purer" national language rooted in indigenous traditions. His methodology involved:12

• Linguistic Research: He performed detailed studies of dialects, particularly those from western and central rural districts, to identify common structural elements.12
• Codification: He formalized these findings in his Grammar of the Norwegian Dialects (1848) and Dictionary of the Norwegian Dialects (1850), which he later refined into definitive editions.1
• Literary Application: To demonstrate the viability of this new norm—originally called Landsmål—Aasen composed his own poems and plays, proving that the composite dialect could function as a sophisticated literary language.12

Through this systematic approach, Aasen provided a national standard that eventually achieved co-official status with Dano-Norwegian, preserving a vital link to Norway's linguistic heritage.12