olika

Olika is a Swedish adjective meaning “different” or “various.” It is used to indicate that several items, ideas, or cases are not the same, and it often expresses diversity across a group. The word is common in everyday language and appears in phrases such as “olika färger,” “olika sätt,” and “olika åsikter.”

Inflection and grammar can be a bit nuanced. The base form ennen en-words is typically olik, as in “en olik person” (a different/unlike person). The neuter singular form is olikt, as in “ett olikt sätt” (a different way). The plural form before plural nouns is vanligtvis “olika,” as in “olika färger” or “olika sätt.” In predicative position, the phrase “är olika” is used to say that they are different.

Usage notes and common collocations help convey nuance. “Olika” emphasizes diversity within a group (olika färger, olika åsikter). In contexts stressing a single instance of difference, the neuter form “olikt” or the singular form “olik” may appear, depending on gender and number of the noun. The term is versatile across formal and informal registers.

Etymology: Olika derives from the root lik, meaning “like,” with the prefix o- signaling negation, yielding the sense “not like” or “not the same.” This construction is analogous to similar negations in related Germanic languages. Related terms include similar adjectives and phrases used to contrast items or ideas.

In summary, olika is a central Swedish adjective for describing diversity among items or ideas, with distinct inflections for singular en-, singular ett-, and plural nouns.