Efterledet

Efterledet is a term in Swedish linguistics that refers to the trailing element of a compound word. In analyses of compounds, Swedish is commonly described as consisting of a förled (the leading element) and an efterled (the following element). The efterledet typically supplies the core meaning of the compound and often indicates the semantic class of the overall head or referent, while the förled provides a qualifier or specification.

Common after-led types and examples. The efterled is usually a noun, but it can also be an adjective or, less commonly, a verb form used in a noun-like way. Examples include snabbmat (fast food), where mat is the after-led; vattenflaska (water bottle), where flaska is the after-led; fjärrkontroll (remote control), where kontroll is the after-led; stadsbibliotek (city library) and datorspel (computer game), where bibliotek and spel are the after-led. These examples illustrate how the etterled defines the main concept of the new word while the förled narrows or qualifies that concept.

Morphology and usage. In Swedish compounds, the inflection generally applies to the word as a whole rather than to individual parts. Definite forms, for instance, are typically marked on the final element of the compound, as in stadsbiblioteket, rather than on each component. The notion of efterledet is widely used in Scandinavian linguistics to describe how new terms enter the language through combination of a leading element with a substantive trailing element.

History and cross-language context. The concept reflects a common pattern in Swedish and other Scandinavian languages, where productive after-led elements allow rapid coinage across domains such as technology, geography, and everyday objects.