<p class="dcr-1eu361v"><span style="color:var(--drop-cap);font-weight:500;" class="dcr-15rw6c2">I</span>t is a distinct language that has survived against the odds for centuries in a tiny pocket of central Sweden, where just 2,500 people speak it today. And yet, despite bearing little resemblance to Swedish, Elfdalian is considered to be only a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/may/24/sofia-hellqvist-prince-carl-philip-sweden-glamour-model-lost-viking-language" data-link-name="in body link">dialect of the country’s dominant language</a>.</p><p class="dcr-1eu361v">Now researchers say they have uncovered groundbreaking information about the roots of Elfdalian that they hope could bolster its standing and help it acquire official recognition as a minority language.</p><div id="sign-in-gate"><gu-island name="SignInGateSelector" priority="feature" deferuntil="visible" props="{"contentType":"Article","sectionId":"world","tags":[{"id":"world/sweden","type":"Keyword","title":"Sweden"},{"id":"world/europe-news","type":"Keyword","title":"Europe"},{"id":"world/world","type":"Keyword","title":"World news"},{"id":"science/language","type":"Keyword","title":"Language"},{"id":"campaign/email/this-is-europe","type":"Campaign","title":"This is Europe (newsletter signup)"},{"id":"type/article","type":"Type","title":"Article"},{"id":"tone/features","type":"Tone","title":"Features"},{"id":"profile/miranda-bryant","type":"Contributor","title":"Miranda Bryant","bylineImageUrl":"https://i.guim.co.uk/img/uploads/2022/12/03/Miranda_Bryant.jpg?width=300&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=83b17b69ee741e8a54f894b02ac8a307","bylineLargeImageUrl":"https://i.guim.co.uk/img/uploads/2022/12/03/Miranda_Bryant_Next_Gen.png?width=300&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=677741e20d7ebce439ff0435ef176bf3"},{"id":"publication/theguardian","type":"Publication","title":"The Guardian"},{"id":"theguardian/mainsection","type":"NewspaperBook","title":"Main section"},{"id":"theguardian/mainsection/international","type":"NewspaperBookSection","title":"International"},{"id":"tracking/commissioningdesk/uk-foreign","type":"Tracking","title":"UK Foreign"}],"isPaidContent":false,"isPreview":false,"host":"https://www.theguardian.com","pageId":"world/2024/nov/03/runes-prove-elfdalian-is-distinct-ancient-nordic-language-say-researchers","idUrl":"https://profile.theguardian.com","switches":{"lightbox":true,"externalVideoEmbeds":true,"abSignInGateMainVariant":true,"prebidAppnexusUkRow":true,"prebidMagnite":true,"commercialMetrics":true,"prebidTrustx":true,"scAdFreeBanner":false,"adaptiveSite":true,"prebidPermutiveAudience":true,"compareVariantDecision":false,"enableSentryReporting":true,"lazyLoadContainers":true,"ampArticleSwitch":true,"remarketing":true,"articleEndSlot":true,"keyEventsCarousel":true,"registerWithPhone":false,"darkModeWeb":true,"targeting":true,"remoteHeader":true,"slotBodyEnd":true,"prebidImproveDigitalSkins":false,"ampPrebidOzone":true,"extendedMostPopularFronts":true,"emailInlineInFooter":true,"showNewPrivacyWordingOnEmailSignupEmbeds":true,"prebidAnalytics":true,"extendedMostPopular":true,"ampContentAbTesting":false,"prebidCriteo":true,"okta":true,"imrWorldwide":true,"acast":true,"twitterUwt":true,"prebidAppnexusInvcode":true,"ampPrebidPubmatic":true,"abUsaExpandableMarketingCard":false,"a9HeaderBidding":true,"prebidAppnexus":true,"enableDiscussionSwitch":true,"prebidXaxis":true,"stickyVideos":true,"interactiveFullHeaderSwitch":true,"discussionAllPageSize":true,"prebidUserSync":true,"audioOnwardJourneySwitch":true,"brazeTaylorReport":false,"callouts":true,"sentinelLogger":true,"geoMostPopular":true,"weAreHiring":false,"relatedContent":true,"thirdPartyEmbedTracking":true,"prebidOzone":true,"ampLiveblogSwitch":true,"ampAmazon":true,"prebidAdYouLike":true,"mostViewedFronts":true,"optOutAdvertising":true,"abSignInGateMainControl":true,"googleSearch":true,"disableFrontContainerShowHide":true,"abOptOutFrequencyCap":true,"brazeSwitch":true,"prebidKargo":true,"consentManagement":true,"personaliseSignInGateAfterCheckout":true,"prebidSonobi":true,"idProfileNavigation":true,"confiantAdVerification":true,"discussionAllowAnonymousRecommendsSwitch":false,"absoluteServerTimes":false,"permutive":true,"comscore":true,"ampPrebidCriteo":true,"newsletterOnwards":false,"youtubeIma":true,"webFonts":true,"liveBlogTopSponsorship":true,"prebidImproveDigital":false,"abAdBlockAsk":false,"ophan":true,"crosswordSvgThumbnails":true,"prebidTriplelift":true,"weather":true,"prebidPubmatic":true,"serverShareCounts":false,"autoRefresh":true,"enhanceTweets":true,"prebidIndexExchange":true,"prebidOpenx":true,"prebidHeaderBidding":true,"idCookieRefresh":true,"discussionPageSize":true,"smartAppBanner":false,"historyTags":true,"brazeContentCards":true,"remoteBanner":true,"emailSignupRecaptcha":true,"prebidSmart":true,"shouldLoadGoogletag":true,"inizio":true,"europeBetaFront":false}}" data-island-status="hydrated"></gu-island></div><p class="dcr-1eu361v"></p>
