Stämmorna

Stämmorna is the plural form of the Swedish noun stämma, a word with several distinct meanings depending on context. In everyday language it commonly refers to different parts, roles, or events, and its meaning is clarified by surrounding words.

In botany and forestry, stamm or stammar denotes the trunk or main stem of a tree or shrub. Stämmorna therefore refers to multiple trunks or stems, for example when describing a stand of trees with several dominant trunks or when thinning a coppice.

In music, stämma designates a voice part or choir line within a piece of polyphonic or ensemble music. The term is used for the individual parts such as soprano, alto, tenor, and bass, and stämmorna refers to the different vocal lines that together form the harmony.

In corporate and organizational settings, stämma means a general meeting or assembly, such as a shareholders’ meeting. The plural stämmor is used for multiple gatherings, for instance årsstämmor (annual general meetings) and bolagsstämmor (general meetings of a company), where decisions are made, accounts reviewed, and elections held.

The meaning of stämmorna is thus highly context-dependent: it can refer to plant trunks, musical voice parts, or formal assemblies. When encountering the term, the surrounding words typically indicate which sense is intended.