Kveenien omakielisen lukemisen traditio ja sen merkitys kielen säilymiselle

Abstract


 
 
 This article examines the reading habits of the Kven minority in Norway. Historical sources note that Kvens were able to read in Finnish already in the 18th century. Up to the middle of the 19th century, most books printed in Finnish were religious texts written in Old Literary Finnish. During the Early Modern Finnish period (1820–1870), more secular literature appeared.
 Although the Kvens mostly read religious texts, they also read some secular literature. Kvens would gather to read religious books written in Old Literary Finnish in homes following a religious tradition of repetitive reading. It is quite probable that this reading practice had an impact on Kven language maintenance. Extensive reading refers to the reading of many different types of texts. In Finland, extensive reading expanded among common people during the Early Modern Finnish period. By contrast, extensive reading among Kvens was most often conducted in Norwegian.