Mjuk

Mjuk is an adjective found in Swedish and related Scandinavian languages that means soft, pliant, or gentle. In Swedish, the word is used to describe physical softness as well as figurative softness, and it forms part of many compound terms. The neuter singular form is mjukt, and the plural form is mjuka.

Mjukvara is a standard Swedish term for software, literally 'soft-ware.' It is widely used in technical and educational contexts as the native equivalent of the English loanword software. Other common compounds include mjukvarudesign (software design) and mjukvaruutveckling (software development).

Etymology: The word is of Germanic origin, with cognates in other Nordic languages and traces back to Old Norse mjúkr, meaning soft. The sense of softness extended metaphorically to gentleness or leniency in various phrases.

Usage notes: In Swedish, mjuk is commonly used in everyday language to describe textures and metaphorical softness, and mjukvara is established terminology in IT. The form and related compounds are productive in modern Swedish.