The New International Encyclopædia/Aasen, Ivar Andreas

AASEN, a'sen, Ivar Andreas (1813-96). A Norwegian philologist. He was born, at Sond- more. "He at first studied botany, but subse- quently turned his attention to researches respecting the native dialects. Assisted by the Go'ernment, he traversed nearly the whole of Norway, investigating popular speech, upon which he sought to base a national language that should be free from Danish influence. In 1848 he published Dct ^orske Folkesprogs Gram- matil:, and in 1850 added Ordhog over det Norske Folkesprog, enlarged under the title of Tiorsk Ordhog in 1873, and in 1856 Norske Ordsprog, a treatise on Norw-egian proverbs. Through his linguistic work he was the originator of the patriotic movement generally known as the "Maalstrcev."