förhållit

Förhållit is a Swedish verb form that occurs primarily in historical texts. It is the past participle of the verb förhålla, used in older or formal language to express relation, conduct, or stance. In contemporary Swedish, the form is uncommon outside archival or literary material; modern usage typically conveys the sense with the reflexive verb phrase förhålla sig or with other verbs depending on the context.

Etymology and form: The term is built from the prefix för- attached to hålla, the root meaning “to hold.” The participle ending -it marks the past tense in this verb class, producing förhållit as the perfekt participle in constructions with auxiliary verbs such as har.

Usage notes: In historical Swedish, förhållit appears in perfect or pluperfect constructions that describe how someone has acted toward a person or situation, or how a matter has related to something. In reflexive phrases, it commonly occurs as har förhållit sig, meaning roughly “has comported oneself” or “has related oneself (to a matter).” In modern Swedish, speakers generally substitute more common forms, such as “har förhållit sig till …” or other verbs like följa, hålla, or relatera, depending on the nuance.

Examples:

- Older or formal prose: man har förhållit sig till efterfrågan enligt anvisningarna.

- Modern paraphrase: man har följt instruktionerna or man har förhållit sig till instruktionerna.

See also: förhållande, förhållas, förhålla sig.