Prickig

Prickig is a Swedish adjective meaning speckled or dotted, used to describe surfaces or patterns characterized by small dots or spots. The term can refer to fabrics, wallpapers, artwork, or animal markings, and is commonly used to describe polka-dot or dotted designs as they appear in fashion and design.

Etymology and form: Prickig stems from the noun prick, meaning dot or spot, with the suffix -ig that forms adjectives indicating a property. In Swedish, adjectives agree with the noun in gender and number, so you may encounter en prickig skjorta (a dotted shirt) or ett prickigt tyg (a dotted fabric). Predicative use is also possible: tyget är prickigt or skjortan är prickig.

Usage: In everyday Swedish, prickig describes visual patterns in clothing, textiles, and interior design. It is closely associated with polka-dot styling, and you will find phrases like prickig klänning or prickigt tyg in product descriptions. While most common in design contexts, prickig can also describe natural patterns, such as spots on animals or certain plant markings, when the dots are visually defining features.

Variations and scope: The term is flexible with respect to dot size, density, and arrangement; it does not specify a single dot size or spacing. Prickig is primarily a descriptive term for appearance rather than a color or texture category.

See also: Polka dot, Dot pattern, Swedish language.