okänd

Okänd is a Swedish adjective meaning unknown or unidentified. It is used for people whose identity is not known, objects whose origin or nature is not established, or information that has not been verified. In journalism, law enforcement, science, and everyday speech, the term signals ambiguity or lack of information about a person, thing, or circumstance.

Etymology: The word is formed with the negation prefix o- attached to känd, meaning "known." It has cognates in other Scandinavian languages, such as Danish ukendt and Norwegian ukjent, reflecting a common Proto-Nordic heritage. Grammatically, okänd agrees with the noun in gender and number: en okänd man, ett okänt land, flera okända personer.

Usage notes: Okänd is most common as an attributive adjective. In the definite form it becomes den okände mannen or det okända landet. The term can describe concrete identities or abstract concepts such as origins, motives, or sources. It is often contrasted with känd (known) or bekant (familiar) in discussions about information reliability or identity.

See also: okänt; känd; bekant; ukjent (Norwegian); ukendt (Danish).