Carl Linnaeus visited Älvdalen in 1734 and recorded his observations of this hybrid writing system. His diary entry captured the state of the writing tradition at that specific moment.
The oldest dated example comes from the final years of the 16th century. A bowl from the village of Åsen bears the inscription Anders has made this bowl anno 1596.
The character inventory functioned specifically to transcribe the Elfdalian dialect until the late 20th century. Its survival depended on the persistence of the Elfdalian language itself.
The death of the last known user occurred in 1980, marking the effective end of active usage. When the last known user died in 1980, the living transmission chain ended abruptly.
Scholars have cataloged more than two hundred physical inscriptions carved into various wooden objects. These artifacts include furniture, bridal boxes, shieling buildings, kitchen blocks, and measuring sticks.