Odla

Odla is a verb in Swedish and Norwegian that means to cultivate or to grow plants, crops, or other living things. It is most commonly used in gardening, farming, and horticulture, referring to activities that promote growth, such as preparing soil, sowing seeds, and tending crops. The related noun odling denotes the act or practice of cultivation, while odlare refers to a grower or cultivator, and odlad describes something that has been cultivated. The term is widely used in everyday language as well as in agricultural contexts, and it can be employed metaphorically, as in odla en dröm (to cultivate a dream) or odla relationer (to nurture relationships).

Etymology: Odla belongs to the Germanic family of languages and has cognates across Scandinavian languages, with Old Norse and other Germanic roots linked to cultivation and growth. In Swedish, odla is the infinitive; it conjugates in common tense forms such as odlar (present), odlade (past), and odlat (past participle). In Norwegian and other Scandinavian varieties, similar forms exist with parallel meaning. The word is standard in both formal writing and everyday speech.

See also: odling, odlare, odlad.