Högre seminarium i nordiska språk

About the seminar

The origins and spread of the Germanic languages, including German, Dutch, English and the Nordic languages, have been the subject of enduring debate. While it is widely accepted that their latest common ancestor, Proto-Germanic, was spoken in Northern Europe during the Early Iron Age, questions remain concerning the processes driving its divergence and split. Moreover, as a branch of the Indo-European language family, which expanded from the Western Eurasian steppe during the 3rd millennium BCE, it remains unclear when and where Germanic entered Northern Europe. By analyzing over seven hundred newly sequenced ancient genomes, we explore the population history of the region and formulate a new potential model for the emergence and dispersal of the Germanic languages.