avlägsla

Avlägsla is a Swedish verb that denotes the act of removing or detaching something from its position, place, or context. The word is primarily used for physical removal, such as clearing an obstacle, disassembling a component, or removing material in a maintenance or cleaning context. In contemporary standard Swedish, avlägsla is not common; avlägsna is the more widely used form for the same sense. Many dictionaries note avlägsla as archaic or regional, with avlägsna serving as the preferred modern pronunciation and spelling.

Etymology and form. The verb follows the general pattern of prefix av- meaning away or off, attached to a root related to placing or locating something before removal. Because avlägsla is less common in modern usage, its exact historical derivation is primarily discussed in linguistic references on older Swedish spellings and regional varieties. In practice, speakers encountering avlägsla are usually reading older texts or dialectal material.

Usage notes. Avlägsla tends to appear in technical writing, historical documents, or regional speech, where avlägsna is the standard choice in formal contexts. When writing contemporary Swedish, avlägsna should be used to express removal or detachment in most situations. Depending on context, synonyms include ta bort, rensa, or avlägsnande (the noun form meaning removal).

See also. avlägsna, avlägsnande, ta bort, rensa.

References. For current usage and accepted forms, consult Swedish dictionaries and corpus resources that document regional and historical spellings of avlägsla and avlägsna.

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