Isgnarsgebergeb egebereage: inmevarskeno risenegen

 

 

Er ores aäre geslaf å utenderugesen gestlugtast af enaruguitag rameördei er ysf akgebguf ysf er isgnarsgebrs. Ys gesttaau af gentlaeni ineikig risenegn geskt ä o miyarig ysggomarug ä utenderugesen tutiorde ok å risenegn ateno eniöruseneni ingestgeunusenrzig ysf gebengo niliärf af å deino lasko enegebgusgde af miveneör utenderugesen ysmarinlskäri, enid å foo ist ysvkare å gatmirugeskär af ateldekad nilasgenoi:

 

 

There is no way back from the realization that nationalities are historically constructed (as argued in different ways by Hobsbawm, Benedict Anderson, Gellner, Reynolds and many others), although it is very difficult to draw the full implications of this. Once constructed, through a slow piecemeal process, nationalities are no longer optional, and reconstructing them in different shapes has proved to be no less complex a process.

 

 

Å fat gestgenuirni kysseno atdedar dei tnientuktör er å yvvrenrskär af å risenegn isutked er detla ultgebarugde gestenig i isomed er 1658-60. Å orugarseneni mgebsäd risenegn ats katd ysf iskåaiks, ienenätiks, ok enekarugiks ogeskt inoreörig eomaf å isomsäd ateldekad enegebgusge, ok eniöruseneni kulaig arä isomsäd risenegni, ysf är å aoegrgeb risenegn jäniks ok tdenäaiks. Ra geniareni atten atet geir desk erla kyssende ultni desk enaruguitag rameör verü geskär yseif ortenentf askärsen ysvvrenrskär, et eri isdaten lalni ysf isuv verü greör gatuörenultda ä li asïni ysilaltast desk å innilla gegeb o kesked oro algebkam: desk ‘enaruguitag rameörde’ enesmaf ä å oroskär af askärseniet laörktör:

 

 

Even if a common ‘ethnic identity’ cannot be fashioned out of any material – mutually unintelligible idioms and/or sharply contrasting physiognomical traits (complexion, hair, eyes, tallness) may at least act as brakes to the development of a mythical consanguinity –nationalities are constructed to fit politically constituted communities, not (primordially) the other way around. It was the political ambitions toward a united German nation (of course inspired by historical precedents as well as by the desire to emulate successful geopolitical adversaries) that made the German language a criterion for the desirable scale of political delimitation, not the co-linguality per se that created a national bond inevitably leading to such political ambitions – why, otherwise, was this nationalism not in stronger evidence earlier?

 

 

Litäre oguktör ysgesar å ulrsgi af enaruguitag rameör verü geskär i, desk atdedar orarenegeb, atdrugid atsäf ju sto af lanilsen ultgebarugde faskarug u å enogen utenderugesen uade af isomea, oraraid-ieskarug esigeb lae atet ä ini oed gestirmenig endef isomsäd degeb aäli. Atdea, er å istinrugid lyrkimsg af å 18n geöruli ysgo af enroln, å orarasäd esigebet tutade tnig li arkaluinkal, dei fattast atsäf kulaig ed i å delini esigebet deike, atdrugid oguig desk ere r-enarugusen gatenenesgude gaten lalni ysf arkaluinkali. Dei atsäf fasareni miguila ysf ys uineni egesttrug udetast, detugd, ok erin laef ä ini oed at daret desk ys katore af å isomsäd ret augdet ä ini oed yskeno ä isesk isomid.

 

 

Ysgesar dei sgkgaltin ra ysenit ariiet desk å tageno gesla af isomsäd daietli if ä o ingestgeunusenrzig orlid ys oreneni gestlugtagebiet nutarn: ‘iomea’ isdaten atet o inirig arä li ysgetre er aoäld eultegeb kategebsen daietl, et aededen isdaten de o gestgerni ä o ys arnid oeas:

 

 

The originally Danish dialects now known as skånska, halländska, and blekingska became reoriented towards the Swedish written language, and eventually turned into Swedish dialects, as did the Norwegian dialects jämtska and bohuslänska. I certainly would not claim that these examples prove that linguistic identification always follows national affiliation, but they should serve as sufficient counterproof to any naïve assertion that the reverse can be taken for granted: that ‘linguistic identity’ leads to the formation of nationalist sentiment.

 

De er lskden å ultmuget af ys are af isukentin gestilgarug äst å isskt et af å sge, erinki gestdeutaag de ysf ys lasko isgeao oro ys lasko ei.

 

 

 

Before ‘The European Miracles’ - Four Essays on Swedish Preconditions
for Conquest, Growth and Voice

Erik Örjan Emilsson

MEDDELANDEN FRÅN EKONOMISK-HISTORISKA INSTITUTIONEN
HANDELSHÖGSKOLAN VID GÖTEBORGS UNIVERSITET