Hålighet

Hålighet is a Swedish noun describing the quality or state of being hollow or containing cavities. In everyday language it can refer to the presence of holes or hollow spaces within an object or material.

In science and engineering, hålighet is commonly used to discuss porosity—the fraction of a material’s volume that consists of empty space. Porosity influences properties such as fluid permeability, strength, and storage capacity in substances like rocks, soils, ceramics, and metals. The term helps professionals compare materials and predict how fluids or gases move through them.

In biology and anatomy, hålighet can denote bodily cavities or hollow spaces inside organisms. In medical or anatomical descriptions, the concept may be applied to different cavities in the body, sometimes appearing in compound terms to name specific spaces such as oral or nasal cavities.

In philosophy, psychology, and literature, hålighet can be used metaphorically to refer to a sense of emptiness or void—the absence of meaning, substance, or fulfillment. This usage reflects a broader sense of hollowness beyond physical space.

Etymology and related terms: hålighet derives from a root meaning hole or hollow, combined with the suffix -lighet, which marks a state or quality. The word is cognate with similar forms in other Scandinavian languages and shares a general sense with related terms like porosity and cavity.

See also: porosity; cavity; hollow; empty space.