History of the Swedish Language
Source: Canva
Swedish is a North Germanic language and is a member of the larger Germanic family, including English, German, Dutch, and others. Here is a brief overview of the history of the Swedish language.
Old Norse
The Swedish language is in Old Norse, spoken by the Germanic tribes in Scandinavia during the Viking Age (around the 8th to 11th centuries). Old Norse was a complex language with several dialects, including Old East Norse (in Sweden and Denmark) and Old West Norse (in Norway and Iceland).
Old Swedish
As Old Norse evolved, it gave rise to Old Swedish, which emerged as a distinct language around the 12th century. Various factors, such as contact with neighboring languages and developing unique linguistic features, influenced old Swedish. Notable Old Swedish texts include the provincial laws and the Bible translation known as the "Gutnish Bible" from the 13th century.
Middle Swedish
From the 14th to the 16th century, the Swedish language went through a period known as Middle Swedish. This era saw significant changes in the language, including the loss of certain grammatical features and the simplification of inflections. Middle Swedish also witnessed the rise of a standardized written form influenced by the dialect of the Swedish capital, Stockholm. This period's most famous literary work is the Gustav Vasa Bible, from 1541.
Modern Swedish
The 16th century marked the beginning of modern Swedish, the form of the language still spoken today. During this time, the Reformation profoundly impacted the language, as Martin Luther's translations of the Bible into vernacular languages, including Swedish, helped establish a standardized written form. The 18th century saw the emergence of influential Swedish scholars who contributed to the codification and standardization of the language.
Contemporary Swedish
Swedish continued to evolve in the 19th and 20th centuries, with influences from other languages and societal changes. The language underwent further standardization and developed a more unified national standard, largely based on the dialect spoken in central Sweden. Modern Swedish has seen the adoption of new words and expressions from English and other languages, particularly in technology, science, and popular culture.
Today
Swedish is Sweden's official language spoken by Swedish-speaking communities in Finland and other parts of the world. It is closely related to other Scandinavian languages, such as Norwegian and Danish, and shares mutual intelligibility to some extent. Swedish continues to thrive as a vibrant language with a rich literary tradition, and it remains an important cultural and linguistic heritage of the Swedish people.
Fun Facts About the Swedish Language
Here are some fun facts about Swedish and a few intriguing aspects of the language that make it unique and fascinating.
Pronunciation: Swedish has a unique pitch accent system, meaning a word's pitch or tone can change its meaning. It adds a melodic quality to the language.
Vowels: Swedish has many vowel sounds, with nine long and 17 short vowels. This makes it one of the languages with the most vowel sounds worldwide.
Word Formation: Swedish can create compound words by combining several words. These compounds can sometimes be lengthy and descriptive, making the language creative and expressive.
Neologisms: Swedish has a tradition of creating new words by combining existing words or borrowing from other languages. For example, the term "datavirus" is used to describe computer viruses.
Verb Tenses: Swedish has a relatively simple verb conjugation system compared to many other European languages. It lacks distinct verb forms for the future tense and uses auxiliary verbs instead.
Pronoun Gender: Swedish has retained grammatical gender from its Old Norse origins but has simplified over time. Unlike other Germanic languages, Swedish has only two genders: common (en) and neuter (ett). However, there have been discussions about introducing a gender-neutral pronoun in recent years.
Allemansrätt: In Swedish, there is a unique concept called "allemansrätt," which translates to "everyman's right." It allows anyone to roam freely in nature, including private land, as long as they do not disturb or damage the environment.
Numbers: Swedish numbers have interesting names for some digits. For example, the number 5 is "fem," but when combined with another number, it changes to "femt-" as a prefix. So, 50 is "femtio," and 500 is "femhundra."
Swedish Letters: The Swedish alphabet includes three additional letters: Å (å), Ä (ä), and Ö (ö). These letters are pronounced as distinct sounds, not modifying the original A and O.
Long Words: Swedish has some impressively long words, such as "Realisationsvinstbeskattning" (capital gains tax) and "Nordvästersjökustartilleriflygspaningssimulatoranläggningsmaterielunderhållsuppföljningssystemdiskussionsinläggsförberedelsearbeten" (preparatory work for the maintenance follow-up system of the Northwest Sea Coastal Artillery Air Reconnaissance Simulator Equipment). These words are formed by combining multiple words.
Linnea, OLS Community Manager – Swedish
Source: Canva