Martin Jansson: Samtidens gränser: Om språkreformer och historisk tid runt sekelskiftet 1900

Abstract

This dissertation examines two extensive language reforms that caused controversy and discord in late 19th century Sweden: a comprehensive spelling reform and a formally authorised Bible translation. Among the numerous disagreements and entanglements that afflicted the projects, one issue persisted more than any other: the question of historical time. The correlation between past, present and future was fiercely contested and became a topic of intense negotiation.

The purpose of this thesis is to analyse situated constructions of historical time around the turn of the 20th century. By invoking the language reforms as examples of temporal synchronisations, the study contributes to recent debates about modern temporalities and historical time. While earlier research predominantly considers intellectual discourses and abstract notions of temporality, this study emphasises historical time as a consequence of practical measures and applied procedures.

The study concludes that historical time was established in order to manage a plethora of conflicting temporalities and asynchronous rhythms. The spelling reform and the Bible translation were affected by a wide range of conflicting times that preceded the notions of progress and acceleration often associated with the modern regime of historicity. The thesis demonstrates how the language reforms established a modern historical order that is often reduced to a passive articulation of an underlying regime.