erlägga

Erlägga is a Swedish verb with the general meaning to explain or to present in a detailed, organized way. In contemporary usage it is relatively formal and most commonly found in written or official, rather than everyday, language. It can also carry nuances of presenting, laying out, or delivering information in a thorough manner. In modern Swedish, speakers often prefer verbs like förklara or redogöra för in everyday speech.

Etymology and form: The verb is formed with the prefix er- attached to lägga (to lay), a common productive pattern in Swedish that signals a completed or thorough action. The word is characteristic of formal or literary registers and has cognate-like counterparts in related Scandinavian languages.

Usage and context: Erlägga frequently appears in legal, administrative, and scholarly texts, where precise presentation of facts, arguments, or decisions is required. It is commonly used with nouns such as redogörelse, svar, beslut, or rapport. For example, a sentence might read that a report “erlägger en detaljerad redogörelse för metod och resultat,” meaning it presents or provides a thorough account of the method and results.

Alternatives and nuances: In everyday language, citizens and journalists are more likely to use förklara (to explain) or redogöra för (to give an account of). Erlägga thus sits on the formal end of the spectrum and is best suited for formal writing, legal prose, or historical text.

See also: förklara, redogöra för, presentera, framlägga.