Största

Största is a Swedish term that functions as the superlative form of the adjective stor, meaning "largest" or "greatest." In everyday usage it describes the most sizable member of a group, as in den största byggnaden (the largest building) or den största ön (the largest island). Beyond adjectives, the form can appear in toponymy and descriptive labels, signaling that a feature is the largest of its kind within a region.

Etymology and grammar: Största derives from the stem stor with the Swedish superlative suffix -sta. It is the definite superlative form, used with a noun to indicate the ultimate degree of size or extent. It is related to the Norwegian stø·erste and the Danish største, which serve a similar function in their languages. The comparative form of stor is större, while största marks the highest degree.

Usage notes: In modern Swedish, størsta is used when a definite noun is present, and agrees with gender and definiteness (for example, den största dagen, det största huset). When making general comparisons, the comparative större is used (större än). The word primarily serves descriptive purposes in ordinary language and can appear in written and spoken contexts, including geographical descriptions and historical texts.

See also: Stor, större, störst; Swedish grammar; toponymy.