Analysing bilingualism and biscriptality in medieval Scandinavian epigraphic sources: a sociolinguistic approach

Abstract Written culture in high and late medieval Scandinavia is characterized by a long complex relationship between the Latin written tradition older native runic one. One product of intersection these traditions are several epigraphs where Latin, vernacular, alphabet, runes combined. The aim this paper to propose framework for analysing such bilingual biscriptal inscriptions which takes into account two fundamental aspects language script choice: (1) literacy those involved production reception texts, (2) role indexicality languages scripts shaping representation identities. draws on epigraphic analyses modern sociolinguistic approaches multilingualism shows that an interdisciplinary method can further our understanding vernacular cultures, their status relative each other, social functions Scandinavia.