stavas

Stavas is a Swedish linguistic term referring to the present passive form of the verb stava, which means to spell. In Swedish, many verbs can be put in the present passive by adding the suffix -s, yielding forms such as stavas. The function of this form is to describe how a word is spelled, rather than to indicate who performs the spelling.

Grammatically, stavas is used to express a spelling in a general or impersonal way. It is formed from the verb stem and the passive marker, and it corresponds to statements like “the word is spelled …” rather than “someone spells the word.” For example, Ordet stavas S-T-A-V-A-S illustrates the notion that the letters of a word are being given in sequence. Another common construction is question-and-answer dialogue: “Hur stavas ordet ‘exempel’?” followed by the spelled-out letters.

Usage and nuance: the present passive form is common in educational and dictionary-like contexts, where it is natural to describe spellings without attributing the action to a specific subject. It is distinct from the active form, stavar, which would imply a subject spelling the word.

Relation to other forms: stáva is the infinitive form, and stavas is one of several ways Scandinavian languages mark voice and mood. In Swedish, forming the present passive with -s is a widespread pattern that appears with many verbs beyond stava.

See also: stava, Swedish grammar, passive voice, spelling conventions.