SAOL has been updated in a commemorative edition that in some respects can be described as somewhat less strict than before. For example, the plural -s in "mountain bikes" has been used instead of the previous edition's plural form "mountainbikar", which has now been removed.
The recommendation to use "hjärnstorma" rather than "brainstorm" is also gone, but linguist Louise Holmer does not agree that more Anglicisms have been allowed through.
Language care has generally become more tolerant, she says.
This does not mean that the new SAOL contains all approved words in Swedish.
That's of course not the case, says Louise Holmer.
And Swedish, as a language, can form an almost countless number of compounds; it is perfectly fine to use words that are not included here, of course!
Free of charge
“Sweet potato fries” and “bjussig” are among the 2,800 new words in the 15th edition of SAOL. It comes 150 years after the first edition and is primarily available digitally and for free via the app and website svenska.se.
There is also the Swedish Dictionary (SO) and not least the historically oriented Swedish Academy Dictionary, SAOB. In physical form, it comprises 39 volumes that describe the development of Swedish from 1521 to the present day and has so far cost the Academy approximately SEK 1.2 billion.
In other countries the state usually covers these kinds of costs, and yet you still have to pay, says Mats Malm, permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy.
Etymological dictionary
He describes the site as "totally unique" and says that within a few years it will be supplemented with an etymological dictionary that explains the origins of words.
It's being updated right now, he says.
The physical version of SAOL is today primarily considered "a treasure", according to Mats Malm, who describes the dictionary and access to language as fundamental to democracy.
The problem today is that language is being used against democracy. We are being completely flooded with disinformation, he says.
The answer to that must be to draw even more attention to language, to give people the tools to really weigh the words that reach them and to be critical of all propaganda.
Erika Josefsson/TT
Facts: New SAOL
TT
It is sold in a limited physical edition but is also available as an app and on the website svenska.se, both of which are completely free to use.
2,800 new words have been included, reflecting, among other things, climate, technology, identity, eating habits and digital culture. Examples of these include “pedestrian street” (where vehicles are not allowed to move faster than walking speed), “forestry without logging” (forestry without logging) and “data broker” (someone who sells people’s digital footprints).
Examples of the 1,500 words that have been deleted include "half-lordship" (people who play the role of lords), "director of prisons" and "minister of education".
The new edition also includes conjugations of particle verbs such as "hoppa på" and "hoppa av".
