Grunntolkningen

Grunntolkningen is a Swedish term meaning the fundamental or baseline interpretation. It designates a methodological approach used in various academic disciplines to extract the core, intended meaning of a text, statement, or data. The word combines grund (foundation, base) with tolkning (interpretation) and is often described as the initial step in analysis.

In law and philosophy, grunntolkningen refers to the baseline reading of a text, emphasizing the literal sense and the most immediate semantic content within its linguistic and situational context. This foundational reading is typically followed by more purposive or teleological interpretive methods, which consider purpose, system coherence, or normative goals.

In linguistics and literary studies, grunntolkningen serves as a starting point for semantic analysis, concentrating on denotation and apparent sense before addressing metaphor, pragmatics, or discourse structure. The concept is used to establish a reference point from which more complex interpretive layers can be explored.

Debates around grunntolkningen focus on whether plain meaning is always accessible or appropriate and whether other interpretive layers should be prioritized from the outset. Critics warn that overreliance on a supposedly “fundamental” meaning can obscure authorial intent, contextual nuance, or power dynamics embedded in a text.

As a cross-disciplinary concept, the exact use of grunntolkningen varies by field, tradition, and author. See also hermeneutics, text interpretation, and legal interpretation.