kvinnan

Kvinnan is a Swedish noun meaning "the woman." It is the definite singular form of the feminine noun kvinna, which denotes an adult female person. In Swedish, the indefinite singular is en kvinna; the plural is kvinnor; the definite plural is kvinnorna. The word belongs to the common gender (en-ord) in Swedish grammar.

Etymology and variants: Kvinnan is of Germanic origin and has cognates in other North Germanic languages, such as Danish kvinde and Norwegian variants referring to "woman." The modern form shows the definite suffix -an appended to the base form kvinna to produce kvinnan. Related terms include dam (lady) and fru (Mrs., wife) for more formal or specific contexts.

Usage and context: Kvinnan is the standard, neutral term for an adult woman in everyday language, journalism, and literature. Like many languages, Swedish uses different terms in varying stylistic levels; dam or fru may be preferred in formal or polite address, while kvinna remains the ordinary word. The term also appears in phrases concerned with gender and equality, such as women's rights or discussions of gender roles.

See also: Swedish language; gender in language; feminist linguistics; women's rights.