brått

Brått is a rarely used term in modern Swedish that appears mainly in dialectal or historical contexts. In these sources, it is associated with rapid action, suddenness, or a brief moment, and it is generally considered archaic or regional rather than standard vocabulary. The word contrasts with bråttom, the more common contemporary expression for hurry or speed.

Etymology and relation to other languages are not fully settled in accessible sources. It is commonly linked to the same linguistic family as bråttom and other North Germanic forms that express speed, immediacy, or abruptness. Some lexicographers note that brått has cognates in related languages, reflecting a shared concept of swiftness, though precise historical derivations are not well documented in contemporary references.

Usage and meaning in practice tend to be confined to older literary texts, poetry, or regional speech. In modern standard Swedish, bråttom is the preferred term for quickness or urgency, while brått itself is rarely encountered outside quotations or dialect collections. When present, it may convey a sense of decisiveness or abruptness rather than mere speed, depending on the context.

In lexicography, brått is typically labeled as archaic or dialectal, with note that its precise sense can vary by region and era. For readers seeking the contemporary word for hurry, bråttom is the appropriate choice. See also bråttom, snabbhet, hastighet.