artikeln

Artikeln is the definite singular form of the Swedish noun artikel, meaning "the article" or "the item." In Swedish, definiteness is expressed by suffixes attached to the noun rather than by a separate word, so artikeln corresponds to the English definite article "the" when referring to a specific article or item.

Etymology and comparative form: The noun artikel derives from Latin articulus and appears in several Germanic languages with similar meanings, such as Danish and Norwegian artikkel/artikkelen, and German Artikel. The Swedish form artikeln shows the language’s characteristic use of postposed definite suffixes, and its spelling reflects standard Swedish orthography for this noun.

Usage and grammar: In Swedish, nouns are categorized by gender. For en-words (common gender), the definite singular is formed by adding -n: en artikel → artikeln. Indefinite plural is artiklar; definite plural is artiklarna. Examples: Jag läste en artikel. Artikeln var mycket informativ. Plural forms: Jag läste flera artiklar. Artiklarna var publicerade igår.

See also: The concept of a definite article in grammar, articles in English, and cognate forms in Danish (artiklen) and Norwegian (artikkelen). The term artikeln illustrates how Scandinavian languages commonly mark definiteness through suffixes on the noun rather than a separate determinative word.

Notes: While artikeln primarily appears as Swedish definite form for artikel, similar definite forms exist across related languages, though exact spellings and suffixes differ. In German, for example, the definite article is a separate word (der, die, das) rather than a suffix.