övertogs

Övertogs is a verb form in Swedish. It is the preterite passive form of the verb övertaga, meaning to take over, to assume control or responsibility, or to transfer ownership. The form is used when the subject of the sentence undergoes the action of being taken over, with the agent typically introduced by the preposition av (by).

In usage, övertogs appears in contexts where control, authority, or possession passes to another party. Examples include corporate takeovers, shifts in management, or administrative transfers. For instance, “Bolaget övertogs av ett amerikanskt företag i slutet av året” translates as “The company was taken over by an American company at the end of the year.” Another example: “Kontrollen övertogs av den nya styrelsen.”

This form is distinct from related tense forms. Övertog is the active past tense ("took over"), while har övertagit is the present perfect form ("has taken over") and is used when the action has relevance to the present. The passive past form övertogs emphasizes the occurrence of the takeover itself rather than the actor.

Etymologically, the verb combines över- (over, across) with taga (take), conveying the notion of transferring possession or control. Related nouns in Swedish include övertagande (the act of taking over) and övertagare (the acquirer or taker).

In summary, övertogs is the standard Swedish passive preterite used to indicate that something was taken over, with the agent often specified by av. It is common in legal, business, and administrative language.