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The dissertation investigates the language of the runic inscriptions of Gotland and its development during the extended period of runic writing on the island. The oldest inscriptions are from the migration period (200–500 AD), the youngest from the beginning of the 17th century.

The ca. 250 inscriptions are presented in chronological order and the changes in the sound- and declension-system of the language are described.

In Old Gutnish the nine short and long vowels of common Nordic are reduced to six of each. While a-mutation (Umlaut) and u-mutation occur less frequently than in other Scandinavian areas, i-mutation is more common, although the rules of i-mutation in Old Gutnish are somewhat obscure.

Of the five diphthongs two, ei and ey, are locally restricted variants of ai and oy, respectively. Broken and affricated forms are common and used alongside with unbroken and unaffricated forms: hier/hér, ier/ir, giara/gera etc. Also some consonants vary within certain words during most of the period: yftiR/yptir, húsfroya/húsproya etc. The case declension is regular and does not change much over the centuries.

The investigation shows that Old Gutnish changed but slowly and the development towards the Gotlandic dialect of today had only just begun when the runes disappear at the beginning of the 17th century.