Bokmaal proof

/bokmaal-proof

Overview

LLMs and most language tools handle Norwegian bokmål grammar reasonably well. They miss the things native Norwegian readers actually notice: anglicisms ("skalere opp" instead of "vokse"), register drift (formal-to-casual mid-paragraph), translation-from-English sentence rhythm, and Språkrådet recommendations that no tool enforces. This skill fixes those.

Core principle: the test is "would a Norwegian reader feel this was written by a Norwegian", not "is this grammatically correct".

When to Use

• User typed /bokmaal-proof or /bokmål-proof with Norwegian text or a path to a Norwegian document.
• User asked to clean up, polish, or proofread Norwegian writing for tone and style, not just grammar.
• A document was machine-translated into Norwegian and reads stiff.
• User is publishing in Norwegian and wants the text to feel native, not translated.

Do NOT use for: nynorsk (this skill is bokmål-only; tell the user politely if they want nynorsk), creative fiction (the rules below are for technical and business writing), or quick spell-check (a normal spellchecker is faster).

The Process

Step 1. Confirm scope

Ask the user, in one batched question if any are unclear:

1. Register: formal (offentlig, akademisk), profesjonelt-nøytral (default), or uformell?
2. Audience: generell offentlighet, fagpublikum, kunder, kolleger?
3. Edit mode: in-place rewrite, or comments only with suggested changes?

If the user does not answer, default to: profesjonelt-nøytral, fagpublikum, in-place rewrite.

Step 2. Run the six passes

Read the text six times, looking for one class of issue per pass. Do not try to do all six in one pass; you will miss things.

Pass	Looking for	Examples
1. Anglicisms	English words and English-shaped phrases that have a Norwegian equivalent	"skalere opp" -> "vokse"; "leverage" -> "utnytte" or "bruke"; "stakeholders" -> "interessenter" or "berørte parter"; "deliverable" -> "leveranse"
2. Sentence rhythm	Sentences that follow English subject-verb-object-adverb patterns translated literally	English-rhythm: "Vi skal levere dette innen fredag." Norwegian-rhythm: "Dette leverer vi innen fredag." Norwegian tolerates topicalization much more than English.
3. Register drift	Mixing formal and casual within the same paragraph	"Vi har gjennomført en analyse" + "stuff som funker" in same para = drift. Pick one register.
4. Pronoun and tone	Inconsistent or inappropriate du/dere/De usage; passive overuse	Public-sector formality usually wants "du" today, not "De". Avoid passive when active is shorter.
5. Språkrådet recommendations	Choices Språkrådet has explicitly recommended	"e-post" not "epost"; "nettside" not "webside"; "applikasjon" only when "app" or "program" does not fit; "kunstig intelligens" or "KI", not "AI" in formal Norwegian writing.
6. Compound words	Wrongly split compounds (særskriving), the most common Norwegian writing error	"lammekoteletter" (right) not "lamme koteletter" (wrong); "barnehage" not "barne hage". This single error makes text look amateur faster than any other.

Step 3. Produce the output

Two output modes depending on user preference:

In-place rewrite mode: Return the cleaned text with no annotations, plus a short summary at the end:

## Endringer
- N anglicismer erstattet
- N setninger omformulert for bedre rytme
- N særskrivinger rettet
- N Språkrådet-anbefalinger fulgt
- N andre justeringer

## Største mønster
[1 til 2 setninger om det viktigste stilistiske mønsteret som gikk igjen]

Comments-only mode: Return the original text annotated with inline suggestions in the form [opprinnelig -> forslag (begrunnelse)]. Add the same summary block at the end.

Step 4. Hand off

Offer one follow-up: "Vil du at jeg skal kjøre samme gjennomgang på resten av dokumentet, eller justere registeret?"

Quick reference: common anglicism fixes

English-influenced	Better bokmål
skalere opp	vokse, utvide
leverage	utnytte, bruke, dra nytte av
stakeholders	interessenter, berørte parter
deliverable	leveranse
timeline	tidsplan, framdriftsplan
roadmap	veikart, plan
insights	innsikt (singular i bokmål)
onboarding	innfasing, opplæring
commitment	forpliktelse, innsats
alignment	samstemthet, enighet
use case	bruksområde, brukstilfelle
pain point	problemområde, smertepunkt
best practice	beste praksis (akseptert), eller "anbefalt framgangsmåte"
AI	KI eller "kunstig intelligens" i formelle tekster

These are starting points, not absolutes. Some anglicisms are now standard ("software" is fine in tech contexts; "programvare" is more formal). Use judgment.

Common failure modes

Failure	Fix
Caught grammar but missed anglicisms	Run the six passes separately. The anglicism pass is the highest-value one.
Particularly: missed særskriving	Compound-word splits are the single most damaging error. Always run pass 6.
Forced the user out of an acceptable anglicism	Some are now standard. Do not over-correct. Flag, do not always replace.
Mixed registers in the rewrite	Pick the user's chosen register and hold it.
Used nynorsk forms by mistake	Bokmål only. Common slip: "ikkje" -> "ikke", "skole" not "skule".
Replaced "AI" with "KI" in informal text	"AI" is fine informally. Only switch to "KI" in formal or public-sector contexts.
Returned everything in English	Output Norwegian. The summary block is also in Norwegian.

Edge cases

• Mixed Norwegian and English in tech text: keep code, library names, and product names in English. Translate prose only.
• Quotes from English sources: keep the original English in quotes, but translate the surrounding analysis.
• The user's text was nynorsk all along: stop and tell them. Do not translate to bokmål without explicit permission.