aspirationen

Aspirationen is the definite form of the Swedish noun aspiration and can refer to several related concepts depending on the context. In everyday language it often denotes a person’s long-term goals or ambitions. In medicine the term describes both the act of drawing in air or fluid by suction and the procedure used to obtain samples. In linguistics, aspiration is a phonetic feature of certain consonants.

Etymology: The word stems from Latin aspiratio, through Swedish aspiration. The definite form is formed with the suffix -en, a common Swedish pattern to specify a particular instance of an abstract noun.

In psychology and sociology, aspirationen denotes a long-term objective that guides behavior, often shaped by family, education, and social context. Aspirations influence career planning, education choices, and life trajectories, especially during adolescence and early adulthood.

In medicine, aspiration has two main meanings. Aspiration is the inhalation or drawing of substances into the airway, which can lead to complications such as aspiration pneumonia. Aspiration also denotes a procedure, such as needle or aspiration biopsy, used to obtain tissue or fluid samples for diagnosis.

In linguistics, aspiration refers to the breathy release that accompanies some consonants after their voiceless stop release. The presence or absence of aspiration can help distinguish sounds in various languages, though its role varies across dialects and languages, including Swedish.

Related topics include aspiration in medicine, aspiration pneumonia, aspiration biopsy, and linguistic aspiration.