ljudet

Ljudet is the definite form of the Swedish noun ljud, meaning “sound” or “noise.” It refers to a specific audible phenomenon, to the sense of hearing, or to the acoustic output of a source. The indefinite form, ljud, is used for sound in general, while ljudet signals a particular sound within a given context. It appears across everyday language as well as in discussions of acoustics, music, and noise.

Etymology and grammar: Ljud traces back to Old Norse hljóð and Proto-Germanic *hlūdaz, meaning sound or voice. In Swedish, the definite form is formed by adding the suffix -et to the indefinite noun: ljud → ljudet. This pattern is part of a broader Swedish noun-definite inflection.

Usage: Ljudet is used to refer to a specific sound or to describe the auditory character of something. Examples include the sentence “Ljudet var högt” (The sound was loud) and “Ljudet av regnet mot taket var avslappnande” (The sound of rain on the roof was soothing). In technical or descriptive contexts, ljudet can denote aspects such as volume, timbre, or pitch as part of a discussion about sound.

See also: ljud (sound in Swedish), lyd (sound in Danish and Norwegian), acoustics.