The last time a reasonably comprehensive introduction to the traditional Swedish dialects was published was in 1978. This book, Svenska dialekter (‘Swedish dialects’) by Bengt Pamp, was produced in an effort to replace an older work: Våra folkmål (‘our vernaculars’) by Elias Wessén, published in nine editions 1935–69. Today both books have long been out of print, but nevertheless they are still in use to some extent. Although the study of traditional dialects is no longer on the curriculum at Swedish universities, basic knowledge about them is still in demand. However, these works pose considerable difficulties to most readers of today, assuming at least some familiarity with Scandinavian language history. Moreover, the dialectal features are often presented in a fragmentary manner, leaving readers to figure out the overall picture as best they can. Obviously, there is a need for a new, modernized and reader-friendly introduction to this field.