34 G. Stephens, The First Book Printed in Swedish. 



As a specimen of the endless variety of mere spelling, the substan- 

 tial sonnd being often nearly the same, it is sufficient to remark that 

 the 3 s. pr. of the verb HAFFWA is: haffwer, hafvvir, hafwer, haffvvir, 

 hawer, haffer, etc. 



All the above extracts are given verbatim. The »modification», 

 »correctiony, »regulation», »restoration» and »normalisation» of older mo- 

 numents and documents — is all a falsarium and a swindle. If we will, 

 we can suggest the »correct» form in a note^i for a writer's or printer's 

 error is possible. But otherwise such changes destroy every trace of 

 archaisms and neologisms and local variation and general progress in any 

 language, and are a part of that modern school which by suppression or 

 creation bolsters up its absurd theories. We want things as they are, 

 not as they ought to have been in the opinion of pragmatical editors. 

 Hence all such corrupted reprints are mere wastepaper, an insult to the 

 mother-tuiig, and useless as to the facts and phenomena of Compa- 

 rative Philology — old or new. 



This little paper on a rare »folk-book», one intended for »menige 

 allmogen» in Sweden, is more imperfect than it ought to have been, as 

 hurriedly written under the pressure of very hard work in many other 

 directions. And it has no Index. But such as it is, and with all its 

 faults, I hope it may be of some use and interest to all students of the 

 venerable and beautiful Swedish language in this its unfixt övergång 

 Pre-Reformation period. 



