Old Swedish language

Old Swedish is the Swedish language as it appeared in documents before approximately 1350. It emerged as a distinct language after a period of linguistic change, with its foundations in native literature established in the 13th century. The oldest known manuscript in Old Swedish is the Västgötalagan, a legal code compiled in the 1220s. This early form of Swedish is closely related to Norwegian and Danish, belonging to the East Scandinavian group of North Germanic languages. The language underwent significant changes, particularly in its sound system, during the 14th and 15th centuries.123