Modersmål-Selskabet

Modersmål-Selskabet (The Mother Tongue Society) is a Danish association established in 1979 on the initiative of seminar lecturer Poul Hansen and politician Tom Høyem. Its founding goal was to "work for the preservation of the natural development of the Danish language as a fundamental prerequisite for Danish culture." Poul Hansen was appointed chairman, while Tom Høyem led the secretariat. The first general assembly was held in May 1980, where the name Modersmål-Selskabet was adopted despite containing three spelling errors according to Danish orthography (it should have been "Modersmålsselskabet"). Among the roughly 300 members of the newly formed association were politicians Gunhild Due and Poul Dam, LO treasurer Max Harvøe, former agriculture minister Karl Skytte, and authors Grethe Heltberg and Elsa Gress. In October 1981, the association received 25,000 Danish kroner in support from Fonden til Fædrelandets Vel, whose disbursements are approved by Queen Margrethe. Modersmål-Selskabet and its members have been active in the Danish language debate concerning new loanwords and the impact of technological development on language. In an April 1980 interview with the morning newspaper Politiken, Poul Hansen explained the tendencies in Danish that the association aimed to counteract: "clumsy, imprecise and careless language." He also believed that Danish was undergoing increasing polarization between those who master words fully and those who do not, leading to a linguistic form of class struggle. In a 1985 debate article in the same newspaper, Hansen's successor Grethe Rostbøll criticized the Danish Sprognævn (Language Council) and its controversial changes in a new edition of the official orthographic dictionary. The association has also engaged in Danish school policy, particularly Danish language teaching. Among its proposals was that high school students should be trained in rhetoric to learn to argue and express their feelings. In June 1980, the Modersmåls-prisen (Mother Tongue Prize) was instituted, worth 5,000 Danish kroner, to be awarded to persons whose work aligned with the association's goals for the Danish language. The first prize went to Poul Thomsen, a journalist at Danmarks Radio. That same year, the association published its first yearbook, and over the following eight years it published the debate series "Hvor går dansk hen?" (Where is Danish heading?). Since 1983, it has published the member magazine Sprog og Samfund (Language and Society) quarterly. Regarding the yearbook and member magazine, the association received grants from the Ministry of Culture (47,000 dkr.) and the Ministry of Education (24,000 dkr.) in 1984. Today, Modersmål-Selskabet continues its activities, publishing books, organizing events, and awarding the annual Modersmål-Prisen. Recent activities include publishing new translations of H.C. Andersen fairy tales in Danish dialects, a language quiz, and awarding the 2026 Modersmål-Prisen to Emma Holten for her book "Underskud – om værdien af omsorg" (2024). The association also sends members the magazine Sprog & Samfund and an annual member book, such as "Sprogrenserordbog: Har du glemt hvad det hedder på dansk?" by Kirsten Rask.

Modersmål-Selskabet was founded in 1979 on the initiative of seminar lecturer Poul Hansen and politician Tom Høyem. Its founding goal was to "work for the preservation of the natural development of the Danish language as a fundamental prerequisite for Danish culture." Poul Hansen was appointed chairman, while Tom Høyem led the secretariat. The first general assembly was held in May 1980, where the name Modersmål-Selskabet was adopted despite containing three spelling errors according to Danish orthography (it should have been "Modersmålsselskabet"). Among the roughly 300 members of the newly formed association were politicians Gunhild Due and Poul Dam, LO treasurer Max Harvøe, former agriculture minister Karl Skytte, and authors Grethe Heltberg and Elsa Gress. In October 1981, the association received 25,000 Danish kroner in support from Fonden til Fædrelandets Vel, whose disbursements are approved by Queen Margrethe. Modersmål-Selskabet and its members have been active in the Danish language debate concerning new loanwords and the impact of technological development on language. In an April 1980 interview with the morning newspaper Politiken, Poul Hansen explained the tendencies in Danish that the association aimed to counteract: "clumsy, imprecise and careless language." He also believed that Danish was undergoing increasing polarization between those who master words fully and those who do not, leading to a linguistic form of class struggle. In a 1985 debate article in the same newspaper, Hansen's successor Grethe Rostbøll criticized the Danish Sprognævn (Language Council) and its controversial changes in a new edition of the official orthographic dictionary. The association has also engaged in Danish school policy, particularly Danish language teaching. Among its proposals was that high school students should be trained in rhetoric to learn to argue and express their feelings. In June 1980, the Modersmåls-prisen (Mother Tongue Prize) was instituted, worth 5,000 Danish kroner, to be awarded to persons whose work aligned with the association's goals for the Danish language. The first prize went to Poul Thomsen, a journalist at Danmarks Radio. That same year, the association published its first yearbook, and over the following eight years it published the debate series "Hvor går dansk hen?" (Where is Danish heading?). Since 1983, it has published the member magazine Sprog og Samfund (Language and Society) quarterly. Regarding the yearbook and member magazine, the association received grants from the Ministry of Culture (47,000 dkr.) and the Ministry of Education (24,000 dkr.) in 1984. The association has had several chairmen over the years: Poul Hansen (1979–1984), Grethe Rostbøll (1984–1990), Gerda Thastum Leffers (1990–2001), Elisabeth Sinding (2001–2004), Bent Pedersbæk Hansen (2004–2009), and Jørgen Christian Wind Nielsen (2009–present). Today, Modersmål-Selskabet continues its activities, publishing books, organizing events, and awarding the annual Modersmål-Prisen. Recent activities include publishing new translations of H.C. Andersen fairy tales in Danish dialects, a language quiz, and awarding the 2026 Modersmål-Prisen to Emma Holten for her book "Underskud – om værdien af omsorg" (2024). The association also sends members the magazine Sprog & Samfund and an annual member book, such as "Sprogrenserordbog: Har du glemt hvad det hedder på dansk?" by Kirsten Rask.

• 2026

  Emma Holten receives Modersmål-Prisen 2026.

• 2009

  Jørgen Christian Wind Nielsen becomes chairman.

• 2004

  Bent Pedersbæk Hansen becomes chairman.

• 2001

  Elisabeth Sinding becomes chairman.

• 1990

  Gerda Thastum Leffers becomes chairman.

• 1984

  Received grants from Ministry of Culture (47,000 dkr.) and Ministry of Education (24,000 dkr.).

• 1984

  Grethe Rostbøll becomes chairman.

• 1983

  Member magazine Sprog og Samfund begins quarterly publication.

• 1981

  Received 25,000 Danish kroner from Fonden til Fædrelandets Vel.

• 1980

  First general assembly held in May; name Modersmål-Selskabet adopted.

• 1980

  Modersmåls-prisen instituted in June, worth 5,000 Danish kroner.

• 1980

  First yearbook published.

• 1979

  Modersmål-Selskabet founded on initiative of Poul Hansen and Tom Høyem.

A non-profit association dedicated to the preservation and natural development of the Danish language.

• Sprog & Samfund

  Quarterly member magazine since 1983.

• Yearbooks

  Published annually since 1980.

• Hvor går dansk hen?

  Debate series published over eight years following 1980.

• Sprogrenserordbog

  Annual member book by Kirsten Rask.

1. 1Modersmål-Selskabet - Modersmål-Selskabetmodersmaalselskabet.dk
2. 2Modersmål-selskabet - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Modersmål-Selskabet - Wikipedia (Swedish)sv.wikipedia.org