sällsynta

Sällsynta is a Swedish adjective meaning rare or uncommon. It is used to describe things that occur infrequently or are not widespread, such as medical conditions, phenomena, or species. In Swedish, sällsynta is the plural form used before plural nouns, for example sällsynta sjukdomar (rare diseases) or sällsynta djurarter (rare animal species). The corresponding singular form is sällsynt, as in en sällsynt sjukdom.

The noun form sällsynthet denotes rarity, while the adverb sällan means rarely. The word is commonly employed in science and public discourse as well as in everyday language to characterize unusual or exceptional cases, events, or observations.

In medical contexts, sällsynta sjukdomar is a standard term for diseases with low prevalence. In ecology and conservation, sällsynta djurarter refers to species with limited geographic range or small populations. The term also appears in journalism, climate science, and astronomy when reporting uncommon occurrences or events.

Usage notes:

- sällsynt describes singular nouns; sällsynta describes plural nouns.

- The concept is closely aligned with the English term rare, though usage and frequency can vary by field and register.

- Swedish often distinguishes sällsynthet (rarity) as a noun to discuss the degree or state of being rare.

See also: sällsynthet, sällan, rare diseases (in Swedish contexts often rendered as sällsynta sjukdomar).