Christiania

See also: christiania

English

Alternative forms

• Kristiania

Etymology

Borrowed from Danish Christiania, equivalent to Christian +‎ -ia, named for Christian IV of Denmark.

Proper noun

Christiania

1. A former name of Oslo.
2. A region of Copenhagen, Denmark that considers itself independent of Denmark.
   • 2024 April 6, Isabelle Yr Carlsson, “Denmark shuts down cannabis street in Christiania hippie enclave”, in Reuters‎^[1]:

     "To me, Pusher Street is actually the least unique, right? It is what I associate with violence, gangs, murder, threats, and everything which are actually antonyms to what Christiania is," said Mathilde Brandstrup, a Christiania local.

Danish

Proper noun

Christiania

1. A region of Copenhagen considering itself to be independent from the state of Denmark
2. (historical) alternative spelling of Kristiania (former name of Oslo)
   • 1900, Norge i det nittende aarhundrede: Tekst og billeder af norske forfattere og kunstnere:

     Da Norges Bank 1816 blev stiftet ved tvungne Bidrag, blev som bekjendt Throndhjem dens Hovedsæde, vistnok paa Grund af Jalousien mellem Bergen og Christiania, af hvilke ingen undte den anden denne Ære og Fordel.

     When the bank of Norway was founded in 1816 by mandatory contributions, its seat was, as is known, Trondheim, I believe because of the jealousy between Bergen and Christiania, of which neither one would let the other have this honour and advantage.

   • 1871, Carl Theodor Sørensen, Kampen om Norge i aarene 1813 og 1814: Et bidrag til de nordiske rigers krigshistorie, page 368:

     For at faae dem tilbage, sendtes i Februar 1816 Kommandeurkapitain C. A. Rothe til Christiania.

     To get them back, commander-captain C. A. Rothe was sent to Christiania in the february of 1816.

Synonyms

• (area of Copenhagen): Staden (informal)

Norwegian Bokmål

Alternative forms

• Kristiania (historical name of Oslo; later Norwegianized spelling)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /krɪs.tɪˈɑː.nɪ.a/
• Rhymes: -ɑːnɪa
• Homophone: Kristiania
• Hyphenation: Chris‧ti‧a‧ni‧a

Etymology 1

A Latinized place name based on Danish Christian (“male given name”), with the learned Latin ending -ia, named for Christian IV of Denmark.

First attested in 1624, when the rebuilt city was named after the king following the fire that destroyed much of medieval Oslo.

Øvre Vollgate in Christiania, circa 1864–1873.

Proper noun

Christiania

1. (historical) former name of Oslo: the capital city of Norway, in the spelling used from 1624, retained by state authorities until 1877 and by the municipal authorities until 1897.

Usage notes

• State authorities adopted the Norwegianized spelling Kristiania in 1877, and the municipal authorities followed in 1897. The city was renamed Oslo with effect from 1 January 1925.

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Danish Christiania (“Freetown Christiania”), the name of the intentional community established in 1971 in the former Bådsmandsstræde military area in Christianshavn.

The entrance to Christiania in Copenhagen.

Proper noun

Christiania

1. a neighbourhood of Copenhagen, Denmark, an intentional community and largely self-governing district in Christianshavn.

Usage notes

• Also known as Fristaden Christiania, Det fri Christiania and Staden.

References

• “Christiania – Oslo” in Store norske leksikon.
• “Christiania – byområde i København” in Store norske leksikon.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

Named after Christian IV of Denmark (Kristian IV av Danmark-Noreg)

Proper noun

Christiania

1. (historical) the name given to Oslo, Norway between 1624 and 1925, alternatively spelt Kristiania from 1877 to 1925.
2. the autonomous area in Copenhagen