Old Norse, Its Relatives, and Runes: A Timeline and Introduction

Main ideas / lessons conveyed

Why a timeline matters for Old Norse

• Confusion is common because learners may mix up Old Norse with its predecessor stages (e.g., proto-languages) and successor stages.
• A timeline clarifies what “Old Norse” refers to at different times, and how related languages and writing systems evolved.

Language-family development (Germanic within Indo-European)

• Proto-Indo-European is discussed as an early ancestral stage (with uncertainty about exact dates).
  • It likely split into dialect groups over centuries.
• Germanic languages are presented as a later branch of Indo-European.
• A Proto-Germanic stage is postulated:
  • A comparatively unified Germanic phase with dialect differences.
  • Likely ending around a “Year Zero”-type milestone.
• Gothic is treated as the earliest major split among the Germanic languages.

Runic alphabets used for Germanic/Scandinavian languages

The video outlines a progression in runic scripts:

• Elder Futhark
  • First attested inscriptions appear around 150–160 AD.
  • This doesn’t imply the alphabet was created then—earlier use or design is likely.
  • The speaker suggests the earlier system’s dating may be closer to around Year Zero, but prefers conservative estimates.
• Later proto-Germanic / early proto-Germanic inscriptions
  • Occur in the centuries after the earliest attestations.
• Gothic
  • Has some of the most extensive and coherent written records among Germanic languages.
  • This is linked to a major translation tradition.
• Younger Futhark
  • The shift is associated with vowel changes described as a “mona lab” process (Valley/mouth-vowel changes).
  • These changes lead to shorter words and a larger vowel inventory.
  • In the Norway/“Viking” context, the writing system is modified:
    • The letter set is reduced from 24 to 16 letters.
    • The speaker notes this reduction seems counterintuitive given the language gains vowels, but the script simplification still happens.

When “Old Norse” begins (and how it’s labeled)

• By about 700 AD, major sound and grammatical changes (described via “mona lab”) lead to labels such as:
  • early Old Norse
  • Viking Age Old Norse
  • archaic Old Norse
• Around the late 900s to ~1000, there is a clearer split between:
  • East Scandinavian
  • West Scandinavian
• By the 1100s, regionally identifiable written “everyday languages” include:
  • Old East Norse (associated with Swedes and Danes)
  • Old West Norse (associated with Icelandic and Faroese ancestors)

Roman-alphabet literature vs runic usage

• Many learners encounter Old West Norse in the Roman alphabet, typically around 1200–1300 AD.
• In Iceland, sagas and portions of works like the Edda were written down—often attributed to Icelandic clerics—to preserve cultural memory that was being lost.

Later divergence, mutual intelligibility, and dialect complexity

• After the Black Death (~mid-1300s), languages diverge further:
  • Swedish and Danish become more distinct but remain relatively mutually intelligible.
  • Norwegian is described as heavily influenced by Danish, making national-language boundaries less meaningful than geographic proximity.
• The speaker contrasts:
  • Spoken Norwegian/Swedish/Danish: mutually intelligible with accommodations, especially along a regional continuum.
  • More distant Scandinavian variants: harder to understand.
• Clarification:
  • It’s not meaningful to say any modern living language is “most like” Old Norse, because languages change each generation.
• Dialect note:
  • Some continental dialects (examples named) retain more conservative features and can be closer to Old Norse than neighboring dialects.
  • However, no single dialect matches “living Old Norse” exactly.

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Timeline (as presented, with key transitions)

• ~4000 BC (approx.)
  • Proto-Indo-European begins to fragment into dialect groups (date disputed; speaker uses a conservative estimate).
• Next centuries (ongoing)
  • Splintering continues toward the many Indo-European languages of Europe and India.
• Proto-Germanic stage (postulated)
  • A comparatively unified Germanic phase (with dialect differences).
  • Treated as ending around a “Year Zero”-type point.
• ~150–160 AD
  • Earliest well-known inscriptions in Elder Futhark.
  • The speaker emphasizes the alphabet likely existed earlier; conservative dating suggests it may be closer to around Year Zero.
• Between ~Year Zero and following centuries
  • More Elder Futhark inscriptions appear.
  • Early developments like those connected to Gothic are referenced.
• ~late 300 AD (around 300)
  • Gothic has long, cohesive records due to bishop Wulfila/Wolfila translating major scripture:
    • New Testament
    • At least part of the Old Testament (as mentioned).
• ~700 AD
  • Major phonological change described via the “mona lab” process.
  • Script shift in the region mentioned:
    • Elder Futhark → Younger Futhark (24 letters → 16 letters).
  • From this point, labels like early Old Norse / Viking Age Old Norse / archaic Old Norse become applicable.
• Late 900s to ~1000
  • A distinct split forms between eastern and western Scandinavian languages.
• ~1100s
  • Roman-alphabet writing becomes prominent; written “everyday languages” can be called:
    • Old East Norse (Swedes, Danes)
    • Old West Norse (ancestors of Icelandic and Faroese)
• 1200–1300 AD (learning focus for many learners)
  • Old West Norse texts written down/preserved in the Roman alphabet, especially via Icelandic saga culture and Edda-related literature.
• ~mid-1300s (Black Death)
  • Increased regional division; languages diverge more distinctly afterward.
• Modern period
  • Relative mutual intelligibility described for Swedish/Danish/Norwegian, with proximity and Danish influence noted.
  • Dialects complicate any simple story of “closest to Old Norse.”

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Speaker / sources featured (at end)

• Speaker: Dr. Jackson Crawford
  • Specialist in Old Norse language; historical linguist
  • Teaches at various US universities (including UC Berkeley at the time mentioned)
• Named historical figure: Wulfila/Wolfila
  • Associated with translating biblical texts into Gothic
• Referenced works / text types:
  • New Testament (in Gothic context)
  • Old Testament (part) (in Gothic context)
  • sagas
  • Eddas, specifically the Poetic Edda