härdar

Härdar is a Swedish noun in the plural form of härd. The word has several distinct senses depending on context. In domestic architecture and historical contexts, härd refers to the hearth or fireplace—the primary source of heat and a place for cooking in a dwelling. Historically built of brick, stone, or clay, the härd was central to family life, though many modern homes now use terms like kamin or uppvärmningsanordning for fireplace or stove.

In building services or industrial contexts, härd can denote a heating plant or furnace, the device or chamber where fuel combustion produces heat for space heating or processes. In medicine and epidemiology, a härd is a cluster or focus of disease—in other words, an outbreak or concentrated group of cases within a defined area or population. The term is used to describe where transmission is occurring.

In metallurgy, härdning or härd describes the hardening process and the resulting hardened state of a metal. A metal may be treated to become härdat, improving its hardness and strength. Etymology: härd derives from Old Norse harðr 'hard' and is related to other Germanic terms for hardness. In modern Swedish, compounds with härd are common, and the meaning is largely determined by the surrounding words. Usage notes: The context generally makes the sense clear; in everyday language, the fireplace sense is common in historical or regional texts, while professional writing specifies metallurgy, epidemiology, or heating systems as needed.