återförde

Återförde is the preterite (simple past) form of the Swedish verb återföra. The base verb återföra means to bring back or restore something to a previous state, and in some contexts to trace or attribute something back to its origin or source. The form återförde is used to describe actions completed in the past, such as returning objects, restoring conditions, or reattributing information in written or formal discourse.

Etymology and forms: återföra is built from åter-, meaning back or again, and föra, meaning to lead or bring. Other related forms include återförfört (supine) used with perfect tenses such as har återfört, and återföring as a noun referring to the act of returning or restoring.

Usage: The verb is more common in written Swedish, particularly in historical, archival, archaeological, legal, and academic contexts. It often appears when describing the act of returning artifacts to a previous state or origin, restoring conditions, or tracing information to its source. In everyday speech, more common synonyms or phrasing may be used, depending on context.

Examples:

- Fynden återfördes till romersk tid efter nyanden. (The finds were brought back to Roman times after reevaluation.)

- Statyn återfördes till sin ursprungliga plats i museet. (The statue was restored/returned to its original place in the museum.)

- Författaren återförde citatet till källtexten i fotnoten. (The author traced the quotation back to the source text in the footnote.)

See also: återföra, återföring, återfört. The term is part of a family of verbs and nouns related to returning, restoring, or tracing to origins.