Baltic-Finns and Scandinavians : Comparative-Historical Linguistics and the Early History of the Nordic Region

Abstract: The study investigates how the early nineteenth century invention of comparative-historical linguistics affected European ethnohistoric thought, and how this process altered ethnohistorical research on the early, pre-Christian history of the Nordic region. The case study of the Nordic region (Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Estonia) includes the discipline histories of Finno-Ugric studies, linguistics and the larger field of intellectual history. The study examines the ethnohistorical narratives on relations between Finno-Ugric-speaking Baltic-Finns and Indo-European-speaking Scandinavians. The study covers a time period from the Middle Ages until 1900, with a chronological focus on the period 1770-1900.