If you’ve been waiting for the official dictionary before starting to learn Swedish, or buy a Swedish phrasebook for your next trip, you might consider a copy of Sweden’s official dictionary, completed after 140 years.
Or maybe not, since it is spread over 39 volumes with 33,111 pages, and is officially already out of date even though the last volume was published only last week. The vast work, started in 1883 by the Swedish Academy, is a historical record of Swedish from 1521 to today. It is available online and there are only around 200 copies published, used mainly by researchers and linguists.
Volumes A through R were published so long ago that the Academy’s next project is to go back and add over 10,000 new words. That project will take another seven years. Among the likely new entries are words for allergy, app, computer, and even Barbie Doll.
