symbolerna

Symbolerna is the definite plural form of the Swedish noun symbol, meaning "the symbols." The base noun is en symbol; its indefinite plural is symboler, and the definite plural is symbolerna. In Swedish texts, symbolerna is used when referring to a particular set of signs that are being discussed, as in examples referring to symbols in an alphabet or within a diagram.

In linguistic and semiotic contexts, symbolerna denotes signs whose connection to their meaning is established by convention or learned agreement, rather than by resemblance (icon) or a direct causal link (index). The concept of symbols is central to studies of communication, language, culture, and art. In semiotics, a symbol is a sign whose interpretant is determined by habit or rule, a usage common in Nordic scholarly writing.

Etymology and grammar: symbol originates from Latin symbolum, entered Swedish via European languages in the early modern period. The plural form symbolerna follows standard Swedish inflection rules for en- nouns.

Applications span disciplines: in mathematics and science, symbols such as +, −, ∑, H, and O stand for operations, quantities, or elements; in religion and heraldry, symbols convey shared meanings; in literature and education, symbols help encode abstract ideas, relationships, or mappings. The term symbolerna thus serves as a reference to any collection of such signs within a given discourse.