Handlingen

Handlingen is the definite form of the noun handling in Swedish, Norwegian Bokmål, and Danish. It has several related senses, most commonly action or conduct, and in narrative contexts it can denote the plot or storyline of a work of fiction. The core sense of handling involves how actions are performed or managed, while in everyday language it can refer to a person’s behavior or to the handling of a task or object.

In literature and film, the handling refers to the sequence of events that make up the story. It encompasses the structure, pacing, and causality of the plot, and is often analyzed in relation to characters, themes, and motifs. Distinctions are sometimes made between what happens in the handling and the underlying message or moral of the work.

In administrative and legal language, handling also means documents or papers related to a matter. The term appears in phrases such as “handlingarna” (the documents or the case file) and “gå igenom handlingarna” (review the documents). In this sense, it denotes the records or paperwork that accompany a case, request, or procedure.

Usage notes: the word is typically used in its definite form in Scandinavian languages, with the indefinite form being handling. Plural and definite plural forms vary by language: Swedish handlingar and handlingarna; Norwegian/Danish handlinger and the definite forms handlingene/handlingerne or handlingerne. The term thus bridges everyday action, narrative structure, and bureaucratic documentation depending on context.