Erhållen

Erhållen is a Swedish term that functions as the past participle or adjective of the verb erhålla, meaning to obtain or receive. In contemporary usage it appears mainly in formal, bureaucratic, or legal texts rather than in everyday speech. When used as an adjective, erhållen describes something that has been obtained, acquired, or received by someone.

Grammar and usage notes:

Erhållen is typically used in contexts where it refers to things procured or received through some action or process. It can appear in phrases such as “de erhållna medlen” (the funds obtained/received) or “erhållna tillstånd” (permits obtained). The form is inflected to agree with the noun it modifies, aligning with Swedish adjective agreement rules. In many modern documents you may also encounter the related participle form or derived phrases, but erhållen remains the standard attributive form in formal writing.

Etymology:

The word derives from the verb erhålla, a compound that expresses obtaining or securing something. The prefix er- contributes a sense of completion or achievement, and the base hålla/hålla relates to holding or possessing. The participle erhållen has long been used in Swedish to indicate that acquisition has taken place.

Contexts and notes:

Erhållen is commonly found in official reporting, financial statements, legal documents, and historical writing. It is less common in casual conversation, where terms like få eller mottagit might be used instead. The term may appear in various inflected forms depending on number and definiteness of the noun it accompanies.

See also:

Erhålla, erhållande, erhållan (related noun form), acquired/received in Swedish administrative language.