tilbakelagt

Tilbakelagt is a Norwegian adjective and past participle used to describe something that has been traversed, covered, or completed. It is most common in contexts involving travel, sports, logistics, and reporting. The term is typically used with nouns that denote distance, time, or steps, and can be used predicatively (“avstanden er tilbakelagt”) or attributively (“tilbakelagt distanse”).

Common collocations include tilbakelagt distanse (distance covered), tilbakelagt tid (time elapsed), and tilbakelagte distanser/distansen (the covered distances or the covered distance). The expression emphasizes progress made rather than what remains to be done. It is frequently used in written Norwegian, especially in news reporting, travel writing, and sport.

Usage notes:

- Tilbakelagt is most natural in bokmål Norwegian and is understood in both spoken and written language.

- It is typically used about measurable progress, such as distances or durations, rather than abstract achievement.

- For plural references, tilbakelagte distanser or tilbakelagte kilometer is common.

Examples:

- Vi har tilbakelagt fem mil siden i går.

- Løpet ble tilbakelagt på under to timer.

- Prosjektet har tilbakelagt flere milepæler i år.

Etymology:

Tilbakelagt is the past participle form used as an adjective. It derives from a Norwegian verb meaning to accomplish or traverse, and is used in contexts that denote what has already been done rather than what remains.