FAROESE LANGUAGE

also spelled Faeroese, Faroese Froysk language spoken in the Faroe Islands by some 44,000 inhabitants. Faroese belongs to the West Scandinavian group of the North Germanic languages. It preserves more characteristics of Old Norse than any other language except modern Icelandic, to which it is closely related, but with which it is mutually unintelligible. The written language was established by the Faroese linguist and folklorist Venceslaus Ulricus Hammershaimb in 1846. By 1912 it was authorized for use in some schools and churches, and in 1938 Faroese, rather than Danish, became the sole language of instruction if the teacher so desired. Ballads make up the greater part of Faroese traditional literature. The language is notable for its many diphthongs, which developed from older, simple vowels. See also Old Norse language.