Litterära

Litterära is a Swedish adjective meaning “literary” or “relating to literature.” It describes things connected with literature, including written works, literary criticism, and the scholarly study of literature. The form litterära is typically used before plural nouns, as in litterära verk (literary works), litterära texter (literary texts), and litterära rörelser (literary movements). The base form is litterär; litterära is one inflected form used in contexts where the modified noun is plural or definite.

Etymology: Litterära derives from the Latin litterarius “of letters” and has entered Swedish through the influence of French littéraire or German literarisch. The root littera “letter” underpins related terms such as litteratur (literature) and litteraturvetenskap (literary studies).

Usage: In Swedish, litterära is common in academic, critical, and cultural discourse. It can describe genres (litterära genrer), traditions (litterära strömningar), or specific works and authors (litterära verk, litterära kritiker). It contrasts with olitterära or icke-litterära for non-literary contexts. The term is widely used across university departments, literary journals, and cultural commentary to mark the literature-focused dimension of topics.