Le Nord : revue internationale des Pays de Nord - 01.06.1941, Síða 240

LE NORD
234
when Professor O. v. Friesen of Uppsala in 1930 applied a
Scandinavian approach to problems of Swedish orthography in
a newspaper interview. As far as I remember, the first man whom
I have ever heard give expression to a similar view of linguistic
development in general, is a Norwegian, viz. Professor D. A.
Seip of Oslo. But since then the idea has gradually struck root,
and it can now muster adherents among linguists in all the
Northern countries, perhaps in Sweden more than anywhere else.
In 1937 the University Committees of the Scandinavian coun-
tries, on the initiative of Sweden, appointed a commission to
discuss language questions of common interest to the Scandinavian
countries. This committee presented to the Governments of Den-
mark, Norway, and Sweden a memorial calling attention to the
important bearing which orthography has on inter-Scandinavian
co-operation, and petitioning that no change be introduced in
the orthography of any Scandinavian country before its impli-
cations from a Scandinavian point of view has been duly ex-
amined. Furthermore, the committee approached a number of
organizations representing trades and industries, etc., and asked
them to collaborate in establishing, as far as circumstances might
permit, a unified Scandinavian terminology in the various tech-
nical spheres. This work has for the time being been interrupted
by the war, but two results have already been achieved: it is
now being realized that questions of orthography must be ap-
proached from a Scandinavian angle, and the older hostile view
of borrowings from the other Scandinavian languages has given
place to a different attitude.
A new idea needs an agitator if it is to strike root and to
capture men’s imaginations. Such an agitator the cause of Scandi-
navian language unity has recently got in the Danish author
and jurist Sven Clausen, D. C. L. Sven Clausen is an enthusiast
for the cause and a ruthless disturber of traditional compla-
cencies. Fíe is a brilliant controversialist, who in addition pos-
sesses a sense of humour and a gift for paradox which he wields
with great effect in debate. Fle has been indefatigable in work-
ing for Scandinavian language unity, which he has championed
in innumerable lectures, papers, and newspaper articles. His
chief forum is, however, his “Árbog for nordisk málstræv” (An-
nual for the Promotion of Scandinavian Language Unity), which
he has brought out regularly since 1938. Always ready for com-
bat, he has shown no reluctance to challenge established opinions