Förkorta

Förkorta is a Swedish verb meaning to make something shorter in length or duration, or to abbreviate. It is used in contexts ranging from editing text and reducing a time frame to simplifying a fraction in mathematics. The verb can also refer to shortening a process, a description, or a speech, as well as to trimming unnecessary details in communication.

Grammatically, förkorta is a regular (weak) verb. Its present tense form is förkortar, the past tense is förkortade, and the supine or perfect participle is förkortat. The participle used as an adjective is förkortad (en förkortad text, ett förkortat exempel). The verb is transitive, requiring a direct object, such as text, tid, eller bråk.

Common usages include:

- Förkorta en text: to shorten a text by removing unnecessary details.

- Förkorta en tidsperiod: to reduce the length of a time period.

- Förkorta ett bråk: to simplify a fraction by reducing numerator and denominator by their greatest common factor.

- In editing and publishing, to abridge material for publication or presentation.

Relation to nouns:

- The related noun is förkortning, meaning an abbreviation or shortening, whether of a word, phrase, or measurement.

- In typography and communication, förkortningar are formed to save space or improve readability.

Etymology and cognates:

- Förkorta is formed from för- (a prefix indicating a forward or intensified action) and korta, from the root meaning short. Cognates exist in related Germanic languages, reflecting the same concept of making something shorter.

Overall, förkorta describes the action of reducing length, duration, or complexity, and appears across linguistics, mathematics, editing, and everyday language.