Alternate Names: Ruotsi, Svenska
Dialects: Dalecarlian, Eastern Swedish (Estonian Swedish, Finland Swedish), Gutniska (Gotlandic, Gutamal, Gutnic), Jamska, Northern Swedish (Norrland), Southern Swedish (Scanian, Skåne), Svea. Standard Swedish considered spoken in Svealand. Dialect investigation needed in Gutniska, Överkalixmål, Närpes, Pitemål, provinces around the Bothnic Sea (Norbotten in Sweden and Österbotten in Finland), and the island of Gotland. Gutniska descended from Forngutniska (Old Gotlandic). Dalecarlian spoken in northern Dalarna Province by about 10,000 speakers. Many would actually consider this variety a language in its own right, with its own literary standard and features that are markedly different from standard Swedish.
Genealogy:
Demographics: 8,840,000 in Sweden (ELDIA 2012). 5,000 speakers of Gutniska (1998 S. Håkansson), and 30,000 of Jamska. Population total all countries: 9,197,090.
Language Use: 8,010,000 also use English [eng]. 990,000 also use French [fra]. 2,700,000 also use Standard German [deu].
Language Development: Fully developed. Bible: 1541–1999.
Spoken In: Sweden, Finland
Writing System: Braille, Latin
Nation of Origin: Sweden