A Grammar of Elfdalian
Yair Sapir and Olof Lundgren
Elfdalian is the language traditionally spoken in Övdaln (Älvdalen), central Sweden. Due to its linguistic differences to Swedish, coupled with the determination of the speech community, several attempts have been made to acquire an official recognition of Elfdalian as a minority language in Sweden. However, despite growing interest in documenting and revitalising Elfdalian, it is still regarded as a dialect.
As one of the best-preserved members of a larger but lesser-known Dalecarlian (or Dalmål) sub-branch of the Scandinavian languages, Elfdalian is a unique language to study. The purpose of the grammar is to account for Late Classical, or 'Preserved', Elfdalian from linguistic, historical and sociolinguistic angles, and to make the language, including both its archaic and innovative features, accessible to a wider audience.
The grammar has multiple target groups: people in Övdaln who wish to revitalise or reclaim their language in a more original form than the one it was transferred into through language decline and Swedish influence since the beginning of the twentieth century; those who wish to transmit the language to others through preschool, school or adult instruction; and likewise others who wish to study a lesser-known North Germanic language. Linguists may find Elfdalian interesting from the angles of comparative historical linguistics, language structure, as well as sociolinguistics and language planning.
Yair Sapir has a PhD in Scandinavian Linguistics and is Senior Lecturer of Swedish Language at Kristianstad University, Sweden. Olof Lundgren is a doctoral student in General Linguistics at Lund University, Sweden.
List of figures and tables
Abbreviations and conventions
Preface
Acknowledgements
1 Introduction
2 Phonology and orthography
3 Articles and nouns
4 Adjectives and participles
5 Pronouns
6 Numerals
7 Verbs
8 Adverbs and adverbials
9 Prepositions
10 Conjunctions
11 Interjections and common phrases
12 Clause structure and word order
13 Lexicon, word formation and names
14 Text samples
Sources for quotes
Sources for grammars and dictionaries
Sources for further data
Index
Format: Open Access PDF
402 Pages
5 B&W line drawings
Copyright: © 2024
ISBN: 9781787355392
Publication: September 30, 2024
Series: Grammars of World and Minority Languages
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