Den produktiva marknaden

This study examines the use of the term “market” in Swedish from the perspective of the history of language usage. First, four modes of speech are identified: the stable, problematic, productive, and dominant market. A focus on the productive mode during Sweden’s industrial period, around 1870–1970, then guides close readings of encyclopedias and remote digital readings of parliamentary material. The results show that the understanding of the market gradually became more abstract. Additionally, an increase in the productivity of market-related compound words is observed, particularly in the context of labor markets. The study highlights how the market is construed linguistically and conceptually, and how shifts in the usage of market words reflect broader socio-economic transformations. By demonstrating the variety of alternatives in past market discourse, the analysis challenges the assumption of the market as a homogenous and timeless economic concept, thus contributing to a more nuanced historical understanding.