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Scandinavian Languages

Please direct all comments or requests for information to Janice Pilch
Germanic Languages & Literature Librarian
(244-9399) • pilch@illinois.edu

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Scandinavian Languages (General and Comparative)

Comparative Introduction

439.5B738s (Main Stacks)
Braunmüller, Kurt. Die skandinavischen Sprachen im Überblick. Tübingen: Francke, 1991. (Uni-Taschenbücher, no. 1635)

A systematic survey of the phonology, morphology, and syntax of the modern Scandinavian languages, including Icelandic and Faeroese.

430 G3117 (Modern Languages Ref.)
The Germanic languages, ed. Ekkehard König and Johan van der Auerwa. London, New York: Routlledge, 1994.

Linguistic description (phonology, morphology, syntax, and lexis) of the earlier and modern Germanic languages, including all the Scandinavian languages.

439.5 W16I (Modern Languages)
Walshe, M. O'C. Introduction to the Scandinavian languages. London: A. Deutsch, 1965.

A section on the history of the Scandinavian languages is followed by chapters on the pronunciation and grammar of Danish, Swedish, and Norwegian and a classified vocabulary list of the three languages. The intended audience includes travelers as well as students.

History

439.5 H29sc (Modern Languages)
Haugen, Einar. The Scandinavian languages. Cambridge: Harvard University Presss, 1976.

After an introductory survey of the present-day Scandinavian languages, Haugen traces their history from Proto-Germanic to modern times. Includes a map of languages and dialects.

439.5 N7583 (Modern Languages Ref.)
The Nordic languages: an international handbook of the history of the North Germanic languages. New York: W. de Gruyter, 2002-.

This set (currently 2 volumes) covers the extensive history of the Nordic languages from their beginning to the 20th century.

Linguistic Research

439.5 H29s (Modern Languages)
Haugen, Einar and Markey, Thomas L. The Scandinavian languages: fifty years of linguistic research (1918-1968). (Janua linguarum. Series practica, 154) The Hague: Mouton, 1972.

A survey of linguistic research on the Scandinavian languages, giving "a concentrated view of the productivity of Scandinavians and non-Scandinavians alike in grappling with the problems of these languages." Includes an extensive bibliography.

Runes

439.617 El15r 1989 (Modern Languages)
Elliott, Ralph W. V. Runes: an introduction. 2d ed. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1989.

Basic information on runes used in Scandinavia and the British Isles.

417.7 P145 r 1987 (Modern Languages; Main Stacks; Undergrad)
Page, R. I. Runes. London: British Museum Publications, 1987.

A general introduction to runes in all the early Germanic languages.

430 An889r (Modern Languages; Main Stacks)
Antonsen, Elmer H. Runes and Germanic linguistics. New York : Mouton de Gruyter, 2002.

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Danish Language

Monolingual dictionaries

439.8131Al77a (Modern Languages Reference)
Alring, Michael. Aschehougs Store Synonymordbog. København: Aschehoug, 2004.

This synonym dictionary contains more than 37,000 entries. Includes five appendixes.

439.83D131o (Main Stacks)
Danske sprog- og litteraturselskab. Ordbog over det danske sprog. København: 1918-1954. 27 v.

An exhaustive scholarly dictionary of the Danish language since 1700 with etymologies and many illustrative quotations.

439.83N8841972 (Main Stacks)
Nudansk ordbog, ed. Lis Jacobsen et al. København: Politiken, 1972.

Dictionary of present-day Danish with concise definitions, etymological information, and usage notes. Includes personal names and names of cities.

439.85St74 (Modern Languages Reference)
Den store danske udtaleordbog. København: Munksgaard, 1991.

Describes the actual pronunciation of Danish words as accurately as possible using a modified IPA.

Bilingual dictionaries

439.83K65e1981 (Modern Languages Reference)
Kjærulff Nielsen, Bernhard. Engelsk-dansk ordbog. Anden udg. København: Gyldendal, 1981.

Comprehensive English-Danish dictionary.

439.8103V792d1984 (Modern Languages Reference)
Vinterberg, Hermann and Bodelsen, C.A. Dansk-engelsk ordbog. 3. udg. (Gyldendals store rode ordboger) København: Gyldendal, 1990.

Comprehensive Danish-English dictionary.

Etymological dictionaries

439.83F18gd1960 (Modern Languages Reference)
Falk, Hjalmar Sejersted. Norwegisch-dänisches etymologisches Wörterbuch. Oslo: Universtitetsforlaget, 1960.

Etymological dictionary of Danish and Norwegian (Bokmål) with comparisons to German. Reprint of the 1910-11 edition.

Grammars

439.8182421 Al52d (Modern Languages Reference)
Allan, Robin, Holmes, Philip, and Lundskær Nielsen, Tom. Danish: a comprehensive grammar. (Routledge grammars) London: Routledge, 1995.

A reference grammar of Danish for English speakers.

History

439.8Sk17d (Main Stacks)
Skautrup, Peter. Det danske sprogs historie. København: Gyldendal, 1944-1970. 5 v. (v. 5 is index)

History of the Danish language from the earliest times to the 1960s. Includes illustrations and maps.

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Faroese Language

Bilingual dictionaries

439.6993Y85f (Modern Languages Reference)
Young, G. V. C. and Clewer, Cynthia R. Føroysk-ensk ordabók = Faroese-English dictionary. Peel, Isle of Man : Mansk-Svenska, 1985.

A Faeroese-English dictionary which includes proverbs and sayings.

Grammars

439.699L81i 1964 (Main Stacks)
Lockwood, W. B. An introduction to modern Faroese. København: Munksgaard, 1964.

Introduction to the pronunciation, inflections, and syntax of modern Faeroese along with a reader and Faeroese-English glossary.

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Icelandic Language

Monolingual dictionaries

439.63 B63I1985 (Modern Languages Reference) (Main Stacks)
Islensk orðabok, handa skolum og almennigi, ed. Arni Boðvarsson. Reykjavík: Bókútgáfa Meningarsjóðs, 1985.

A scholarly dictionary which includes both old and new Icelandic words and covers both the written language and colloquial speech.

Bilingual dictionaries

438.69321 So6e (Modern Languages Reference)
Sören Sörensen. Ensk-islensk orðabok. Reykjavík: Örn og örlygur, 1984.

Definitions in Icelandic. The English vocabulary is derived from the Thorndike-Barnhart and Scott, Foresman dictionaries.

439.69321 Sv26c (Modern Languages Reference)
Sverrir Hólmarsson, Sanders, Christopher, and Tucker, John. Islensk-ensk orðabók. Reykjavík: Iðunn, 1989.

Icelandic-English dictionary, both for English-speaking students of Icelandic culture and for Icelanders who need English equivalents of contemporary Icelandic words.

Etymological dictionaries

439.62 J59I (Modern Languages Reference)
Johannesson, Alexander. Isländisches etymologisches Wörterbuch. Bern: Francke, 1951-1956.

A dictionary of 20,000 words arranged by Indo-European roots, with an index of Icelandic words.

Grammars

439.6Ei6I1967 (Main Stacks)
Einarsson, Stefán. Icelandic: grammar, texts, glossary. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins Press, 1967.

A thorough, though traditional course in modern Icelandic. The texts include exercises, which are keyed to the grammar section. The comprehensive Icelandic-English glossary gives pronunciation in a modified IPA.

History

A.839.6 IS4 v. 12-15 (Main Stacks)
Halldor Hermannsson. Modern Icelandic, an essay. (Islandica, v. 12) Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Library, 1919.

A brief but informative cultural history of the Icelandic language up to the beginning of the 20th century.

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Norwegian Language

Monolingual dictionaries

439.8203B637 (Modern Languages Reference)
Bokmålsordboka: definisjons- og rettskrivningsordbok, ed. Marit Ingebjorg Landrø, Boye Wangensteen. 2. opl. Bergen: Universtetsforlaget, 1986.

A new dictionary of literary Norwegian. Words and phrases with definitions.

439.83K761n (Main Stacks)
Knudsen, Trgve and Sommerfeldt, Alf. Norsk riksmålsordbok. Oslo: Aschehoug, 1930-1957. 2 v. in 4.

The standard Norwegian dictionary of the literary language with illustrative quotations showing usage primarily since 1870.

439.8303N99 (Modern Languages Reference)
Nynorsk ordboka: definisjons- og rettskrivningsordbok, ed. Marit Hovdenak et al. 2. oppl. Oslo: Det Norske Samlaget, 1986.

Dictionary of "New Norwegian," the language of the countryside in a companion edition to Bokmålsordboka.

Bilingual dictionaries

439.823C173 (Modern Languages Reference)
Cappelens store Engelsk-Norsk ordbok, ed. Bjarne Berulffsen, Herbert Svenkerud. Oslo: Cappelens Forlag, 1968.

English to Norwegian only. Based on Kjærulff Nielsen's Engelsk-dansk ordbog.

439.823K635e (Modern Languages Reference)
Kirkeby, Willy A. English-Norwegian Dictionary. Oslo: Norwegian University Press, 1989.

Dictionary intended especially for advanced learners of English, with more usage notes than is usual in bilingual dictionaries. Includes American as well as British usage.

439.823N8311984 (Modern Languages Reference)
Norwegian English dictionary = Norsk Engelsk ordbok, editor- in-chief, Einar Haugen. 3d ed. Bergen: Universitetsforlaget, 1984.

The first Norwegian-English dictionary to include both Bokmål and Nynorsk (indicated by codes before the entry words). Intended primarily as a tool for American students learning Norwegian. Includes summaries of Norwegian grammar and pronunciation.

Etymological dictionaries

439.83F18gd1960 (Modern Languages Reference)
Falk, Hjalmar Sejersted. Norwegisch-dänisches etymologisches Wörterbuch. Oslo: Universtitetsforlaget, 1960.

Etymological dictionary of Danish and Norwegian (Bokmål) with comparisons to German. Reprint of the 1910-11 edition.

439.82T63n (Modern Languages Reference)
Torp, Alf. Nynorsk etymologisk ordbok. Kristiania : Aschehoug, 1919.

Etymogical dictionary of Landsmål or Nynorsk.

Grammars

439.8282421St81n:E (Modern Languages)
Sandskogen, Åse-Berit and Rolf. Norwegian: an essential grammar. (Essential grammars) London: Routledge, 1995.

A practical guide to Norwegian, a step-by-step presentation of the grammatical rules and systems of bokmål.

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Old Norse Language

Dictionaries

439.63C581957 (Modern Languages Reference)
Cleasby, Richard. An Icelandic- English dictionary, rev. and enl. By Gudbrand Vigfússon. 2d ed. With supplement by William A. Craigie. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1957.

Focuses on Old Icelandic rather than Modern Icelandic. Concentrates on the old authors, both of prose and poetry. Includes many references and copious citations.

439.6F91o (Main Stacks)
Fritzner, Ordbog over det gamle norsk sprog. Omar. Udg. Kristinia: Den Norske Forlagsforening, 1886-1896. 3 v.

Includes many references, quotations, variations in meaning. Vol. 4 with additions and corrections was printed with a reprint edition in 1972.

439.63 Z71c2004 (Modern Languages Reference)
Zoëga, Geir T. A concise dictionary of Old Icelandic. Mineola, N.Y.: Dover Publications, 2004.

Icelandic to English only; concentrates on words used in the prose writings. Republication of a 1910 work. It includes an additions section of words that were added later, as well as tables for cases and parts of speech.

Etymological dictionaries

439.63 V96a 1977 (Modern Languages Reference)
Vries, Jan de. Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch. 2. Verb. Aufl. Leiden: Brill, 1977.

Old Icelandic and Old Norse. Gives equivalents in other Scandinavian languages and references to sources.

439.6G65i1981 (Modern Languages)
Gordon, E. V. An introduction to Old Norse. 2d ed. rev. by A. R. Taylor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1981.

Reprint of the 1957 edition. Introduction to medieval Scandinavian language and literature. A historical introduction and selections from Old Norse literature are followed by notes, a grammar section, and an Old Norse-English glossary.

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Swedish

Monolingual dictionaries

038B6441991 v. 23 (Modern Languages)
Bonniers lexikon. Ordbok. Stockholm: Bonniers, 1991.

A modern dictionary issued as part of Bonniers lexikon. Offers definitions and some illustrations.

439.73 Il6 1964 (Reference)
Illustrerad svensk ordbok. Ed. Bertil Molde. 3d ed. Stockholm: Natur och Kultur, 1964.

A Swedish dictionary illustrated with line drawings.

439.73Os7n (Main Stacks)
Östergren, Olof. Nusvensk ordbok. Stockholm: Wahlstrom & Widstrand, 1919-1972. 10 v.

An important dictionary of modern Swedish. Includes synonyms and notes on usage.

Q.439.73 Sv2o (Main Stacks)
Svenska akademien. Ordbok öfver svenska språket. Lund: Gleerup, 1898- in progress

The monumental Swedish Academy dictionary of modern Swedish. Includes etymologies and many dated quotations from literature.

439.7313 (Mod. Lang. & Ling. Ref.)
Luthman, Hans. Svenska idiom: 3.500 vardagsuttryck. Lund, Sweden: Folkuniversitetets förlag, 2002.

This volume is intended mainly for students of Swedish as a second language. Contains 3,500 alphabetically organized Swedish idioms. Explanations and examples of usage are provided.

Bilingual dictionaries

439.73J14e (Undergrad Reference)
Kärre, Karl. Engelsk-svensk ordbok: skolupplaga. Stockholm: Svenska Bokförlaget, Norstedt, 1969.

A standard dictionary.

439.7G585m1989 (Modern Languages Reference)
Prisma's Swedish-English and English-Swedish dictionary. Ed. Eva Gomer and Mona Morris-Nygren. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1989.

Emphasizes modern usage of both languages. Favors British spelling but also gives American terms.

439.73Sv251975 (Oak Street Facility)
Svensk-engelsk ordbok. Editor-in-chief Rudolph Santesson. Nacka: Esselte Studium, 1975.

Definitions often followed by illustrative sentences with English translation.

Etymological dictionaries

439.72 H36s (Modern Languages Reference)
Hellquist, Elof. Svensk etymologisk ordbok. 3d ed. Lund: Gleerup, 1948. 2 v.

Standard work including personal names and place names Also gives cognate words in other western European languages (especially Germanic ones).

Grammars

439.78421 H737s 2003 (Modern Languages Reference)
Homes, Philip and Hinchliffe, Ian. Swedish: a comprehensive grammar. Second Edition. London: Routledge, 2003.

A reference grammar of Swedish for English speakers. Focuses on morphology and syntax.

History

439.7W519s (Main Stacks)
Wesen, Elias. Svenska språkhistoria. (Stockholm studies in Scandinavian philology, 17-18) Stockholm: Almqvist & Wiksell, 1958. 2 v.

History of the Swedish language from Proto-Nordic to modern Swedish, concentrating especially on the development of phonology, morphology, and word formation.

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For comments on this page contact: Janice Pilch

Last modified by: Alison Bolla on 7/28/09