Norway lobster See scampi
Norwegian language North Germanic language of the West Scan¬ dinavian branch, spoken by some five million people in Norway and the U.S. Old Norwegian became a separate language by the end of the 12th century. Middle Norwegian became the tongue of most native speakers about the 15th century. Modern Norwegian has two rival forms. Dano- Norwegian (Bokmal, or Riksmal), the more popular, stems from written Danish used during the union of Denmark and Norway (1380-1814; see Kalmar Union). It is used in national newspapers and most literary works. New Norwegian (Nynorsk), based on western rural dialects, was created by Ivar Aasen (1813-96) in the mid-19th century to carry on the tradi¬ tion of Old Norse. Both languages are used in government and education. Plans to unite them gradually in a common language, Samnorsk, were officially abandoned in 2002.
Norwegian Sea Open sea, Northern Hemisphere. It is bordered by Greenland, Iceland, Spitsbergen, and Norway. A submarine ridge linking Greenland, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and northern Scotland separates the Norwegian Sea from the Atlantic Ocean. The sea is crossed by the Arctic Circle, but the warm Norway Current that flows northeast off the Norway coast produces generally ice-free conditions. Colder currents mixing with this warm water create excellent fishing grounds.
Norwich Vnor-ich\ City (pop., 2001: 121,553), administrative and his¬ toric county, Norfolk, England. Located on the River Wensum northeast of London, it had become an important market centre when it was sacked
and occupied by the Danes in the 11th century. It was among the most prosperous English provincial towns for centuries; its economy was fos¬ tered by Edward III, who induced Flemish weavers to settle there, and by the influx of immigrants during the reign of Elizabeth I. One of England’s largest centres of footwear manufacturing, it features a Norman castle and cathedral. It is the traditional regional capital of East Anglia and the site of a cathedral founded shortly after the Norman Conquest.
nose Prominent structure between and below the eyes. With the com¬ plex nasal cavity behind it, it functions for breathing and smelling. Behind the front section (vestibule), which includes the nostrils, it is divided ver¬ tically by three convoluted ridges (conchae) into air passages. In the high¬ est one, the olfactory region, a small segment of mucous membrane lining contains neurons covered by a moisture layer, in which microscopic par¬ ticles in inhaled air dissolve and stimulate the neurons. The rest of the cavity warms and moistens inhaled air and filters particles and bacteria out of it. Sinus cavities in the bone on both sides of the nose drain into the air passages. During swallowing, the soft palate closes off the back of the nose against food.
Nossob \'no-,sab\ River or Nosop Vno-,sap\ River River, southern Africa. Rising in central Namibia, it flows southeast through the western Kalahari Desert and forms part of the border between Botswana and South Africa, bisecting the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park (now part of Kgal- agadi Transfrontier Park). It joins the Auob River before emptying into the Molopo River, which flows into the Atlantic Ocean. It is about 500 mi (800 km) long. Because of irregular rainfall, in the 20th century the lower Nossob’s riverbed contained flowing water only a few times.
nostoc \'na-,stak\ Any of the cyanobacteria that make up the genus Nos- toc. The cells are arranged in beadlike chains grouped together in a gelati¬ nous mass. Ranging from microscopic to walnut-sized, nostoc masses may be found on soil and floating in still water. A special thick-walled cell has the ability to withstand drying for long periods of time. After 70 years of dry storage, cells of one species can germinate into filaments when moistened. Like most other cyanobacteria, nostocs contain two pig¬ ments and are capable of nitrogen fixation.
Nostradamus X.nas-tro-'da-mosV orig. Michel de Notredame (b.
Dec. 14, 1503, Saint-Remy, France—d. July 2, 1566, Salon) French astrologer and physician known for his prophecies. He practiced medi¬ cine in southern France from 1529 and gained a reputation for his inno¬ vative treatment of plague victims in 1546-47. He began making prophecies in 1547, and in 1555 they were published in a book titled Cen¬ turies. He wrote them in rhymed quatrains, using a cryptic style that mingled French, Latin, Spanish, and Hebrew. Catherine de Medicis invited him to her court as an astrologer, and in 1560 he was appointed physi¬ cian to Charles IX. His prophecies are still widely read; readers have dis¬ covered apparent predictions of such world events as the French Revolution and World War I.
Nostratic \no-'strat-ik\ hypothesis Proposal of an overarching north¬ ern Eurasian language family, still of uncertain validity. Holger Pedersen was the first to suggest that the Indo-European, Uralic, Altaic, Afroasiatic, and other language families might belong in one broad category (Nos¬ tratic). In the 1960s Vladislav Illich-Svitych made a detailed case in favour of the hypothesis and added Kartvelian (see Caucasian languages) and Dravidian to the list; he began reconstructing Proto-Nostratic but died in 1966 before finishing. Important contributions to this theory were also made by the Russian-born Israeli linguist Aron Dolgopolsky. The hypoth¬ esis remains highly controversial.
notary or notary public Public officer who certifies and attests to the authenticity of writings (e.g., deeds) and takes affidavits, depositions, and protests of negotiable instruments. The notary is commissioned by the state and may act only within the territory authorized by state statutes. Most states set maximum fees for notarial services and require that a notarial seal or stamp be impressed on documents authenticated by a notary public. In the civil-law countries of western Europe and in Latin American and French areas of North America, the role of the notary is more significant, being roughly equivalent to that of a lawyer who spe¬ cializes in real estate, sales, mortgages, and the settlement of estates but who may not appeal’ in court.
notation, musical See musical notation
Noto \'no-to\ Peninsula Peninsula, Honshu, Japan. Jutting north into the Sea of Japan (East Sea), it encloses Toyama Bay. The largest penin-
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Notre ► Novalis I 1383
sula on the northern Honshu coast, it extends north for 50 mi (80 km) and has a width of about 19 mi (30 km). The town of Wajima, on the pen¬ insula’s northern coast, is known for its women pearl divers and its pro¬ duction of elaborate lacquerware. Parts of the peninsula were designated national park land in 1968.
Notre, Andre Le See Andre Le Notre
Notre Dame, University of Private university in Notre Dame, near South Bend, Indiana, U.S. It was founded in 1842 and reorganized in the 1920s; it became coeducational in 1972. It is affiliated with the Roman Catholic church. It has colleges of arts and letters, science, engineering, and business administration. It also has a graduate school and a law school.
Notre-Dame de Paris yno-tr’-'dam-do-pa-'reV (1163-c. 1350) Gothic cathedral on the lie de la Cite in Paris. Probably the most famous Gothic cathedral, Notre-Dame is a superb example of the Rayonnant style. Two massive Early Gothic towers (1210-50) crown the western facade, which is divided into three stories and has doors adorned with Early Gothic carvings and surmounted by a row of figures of Old Testament kings. The single-arch flying buttresses at the eastern end are notable for their bold¬ ness and grace. Its three great rose windows, which retain their 13th- century glass, are of awe-inspiring beauty.
Notre-Dame de Paris.
©CORBIS
Notre-Dame school Composers of organum at the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris in the late 12th and early 13th centuries. Leonin (c. 1135-1201?) is credited with composing two-voice florid organum char¬ acterized by a rhythmically patterned “melisma” (a series of notes sung on one syllable) added to each sustained note of the plainchant (see Gre¬ gorian chant). He may have devised the rhythmic notation (ligatures) that made this possible or at least codified the important system of rhythmic modes. His younger contemporary Perotin (fl. c. 1200) is said to have edited, extended, and added parts to Leonin’s Magnus liber organi (“Great Book of Organum”) and created the first three- and four-voice textures known in world music. See also Ars Antiqua.