sammanskrivna

Sammanskrivna is a term used in Swedish to describe words that are written as a single unit, that is, closed compounds. In Swedish orthography, compounds can be written closed (sammanskrivna), open (separerade) with a space, or hyphenated. Sammanskrivna ord are formed when two or more base elements fuse into a lexical unit whose meaning is often understood as a single concept.

These closed compounds frequently originate from nouns or adjectives combined with another noun or adjective. They can reflect a sense that the whole is a specific term rather than just the sum of its parts. Many sammanskrivna ord have become established through widespread usage and appear in dictionaries such as Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL). Because language evolves, some words start as open or hyphenated and gradually become closed as they become more conventional.

Examples of commonly sammanskrivna ord include solglasögon (sunglasses), järnväg (railway), trafikljus (traffic light), tandläkare (dentist), smörgåsbord (smorgasbord) and husdjur (household pet). These illustrate how a composite concept is treated as a single orthographic unit. However, not all productive combinations are written closed; new or ambiguous forms may be written with a space or a hyphen for clarity or readability.

In practice, whether a compound is closed or open depends on conventional usage, frequency, and the perceived cohesion of the meaning. Writers and editors consult dictionaries and style guides, such as SAOL or Språkrådet recommendations, ensuring consistency within a text. Sammanskrivna ord are a central aspect of Swedish spelling that reflects how speakers conceptualize compound meanings.