Elias Lönnrot
Om det nord-tschudiska språket
Akademisk afhandling
"Om det nord-tschudiska språket" by Elias Lönnrot is a scholarly publication written in the mid-19th century. This work focuses on the North Tschudic language, describing its relationship to Finnish and investigating linguistic attributes, geographical distribution, and cultural context. The book likely serves as a foundational study in historical linguistics, aiming to catalog and compare the Tschudic language, its speakers, and its literary heritage. The beginning of this work introduces the author's academic intentions and background, emphasizing his field studies among the North Tschudic people. It outlines the geographical areas where the Tschudic language is spoken, particularly around the Ojat River and in Ingermanland, and discusses different terms used by speakers to refer to their language. Lönnrot mentions his previous visits to Tschudic communities in the early 1840s and the insights he gained during these encounters, which inform his study. He expresses a desire to compare the language with Finnish and highlights the importance of gathering folklore and linguistic data from the Tschudic oral traditions to better understand the language's structure and usage.