överkanten

Överkanten is a Swedish noun meaning the upper or top edge of a surface. It is formed from the compound över- meaning over or upper, and kanten meaning the edge. The definite singular form is överkanten. In Swedish, compounds of this kind are common for naming specific boundaries on objects or formations.

The term is used in everyday language and in technical contexts to describe the upper boundary of something. Examples include the överkanten av bordet (the upper edge of the table) and the överkanten av klippan (the edge of the cliff). In descriptive writing or reporting, överkanten can help distinguish the precise location along a length or surface. In geology or geography, the phrase may appear when referring to the upper rim of a crater or the top boundary of a rock formation, though more specialized terms are often used in those fields.

Etymology and related forms: övert- is a productive prefix in Swedish, and kanten is the definite form of kant (edge). Related terms describe other boundaries, such as nedre kanten (the lower edge) or kant (edge) in general. The word has direct equivalents in English (the upper edge, top edge) depending on context, while figurative uses of edge or brink are usually conveyed with different Swedish phrases.

See also: kant, kanten, övre (upper).