fjäde

Fjäde is a historical spelling of the Swedish noun for a feather. In modern Swedish the standard form is fjäder. The form fjäde appears in older printed works and in some dialect writings from the Early Modern period, where it generally carried the same meaning as fjäder: a feather, often a decorative plume or the quill used for writing.

Etymology and cognates: The word traces back to older forms in Swedish and to related terms in other North Germanic languages. The modern form fjäder emerged through orthographic changes over time, while fjäde survives mainly as a phonetic or historical variant found in philological sources. Related cognates appear in neighboring languages, reflecting a shared linguistic heritage.

Usage and status: Today, fjäde is rarely used in ordinary language. It is primarily encountered in linguistic scholarship, historical texts, and discussions of orthography or language change. When cited, it is usually within quotations or as an example of archaic spelling rather than as a living term.

See also: fjäder (feather); quill; Swedish orthography; historical linguistics.

Notes: As an obsolete or archaic form, fjäde provides insights into the evolution of Swedish spelling and pronunciation. Contemporary dictionaries and language histories reference fjäde mainly to illustrate historical variation rather than to define current usage.