stytting

Stytting is a term used in Norwegian and some Scandinavian languages to denote the process of shortening or abridgement of text, speech, or other material. In English-language contexts, the closest equivalents are shortening, truncation, or abridgement. The term is applied across several domains where conciseness or constraint requires reducing content while keeping its core meaning.

In writing and editing, stytting involves removing nonessential words, sentences, or information, rephrasing for brevity, and substituting longer phrases with shorter equivalents. The goal is to improve clarity and readability without altering the fundamental message. Guidelines often distinguish between essential content that must be retained and optional material that can be cut.

In media production, stytting refers to trimming footage, dialogue, or sound to fit duration constraints or to influence pacing and narrative flow. In broadcasting, it can also involve compression of time, such as condensing a long interview into a brief segment.

In data processing and software, stytting may describe truncation or downsampling of data and reduction of precision in numerical representations. Care must be taken to preserve required accuracy and to document what has been removed or reduced.

Etymologically, the term is linked to Scandinavian languages and reflects a common editorial aim: to convey essential information efficiently. See also conciseness, truncation, editing, and ellipsis.