Sammenfattende

Sammenfattende is a linguistic term used in Danish and Norwegian to indicate that what follows is a concise summary of previously presented material. It derives from the verb sammenfatte, meaning to summarize, with the suffix -ende forming a present-participle or adverbial modifier. The expression translates roughly as “in summary” or “summarizing.”

In usage, sammenfattende is common in formal writing, such as academic papers, reports, policy documents, and presentations. It is typically placed at the beginning of a sentence or clause that synthesizes the main points, for example: “Sammenfattende kan konkluderes at …” or “Sammenfattende viser undersøkelsen at …” The tone is objective and concise, guiding the reader to the essential conclusions rather than detailing every point.

Related terms include oppsummert or oppsummering in Norwegian and sammendrag in Danish, which function as nouns or verbs related to summarizing. While oppsummert indicates that something has been summarized and sammendrag denotes a written summary or abstract, sammenfattende serves primarily as a transitional introductory phrase to present a synthesis.

Etymology traces to samen- or sammen- meaning “together” and fatte meaning “to grasp” in the relevant languages, reflecting the act of grasping the essential points together in a single statement.