trädde

Trädde is the past tense form of the Swedish verb träda. In modern Swedish, träda generally means to step into or to come into effect. The form trädde is primarily found in formal, historical, or legal texts, and is largely regarded as archaic or stylistically elevated in everyday speech. In contemporary usage, phrases describing something becoming operative typically use present tense forms, for example lagen träder i kraft in present contexts or past narrative passages may use trädde in a verb phrase such as lagen trädde i kraft den 1 januari 2020.

In legal and administrative language, trädde is commonly seen in constructions that denote a law, regulation, agreement, or decision having entered into force. Examples include "Lagen trädde i kraft" and "Avtalet trädde i kraft efter undertecknandet." These usages indicate that a rule or instrument became applicable from a specified date. Because of its formal tone, trädde appears more often in official records, court documents, historical accounts, and literary works than in everyday conversation.

Etymology and history: träda originates from Old Swedish and is cognate with other Germanic verbs meaning to tread or step. The past tense form trädde reflects historical inflection patterns of the verb. Today, the present tense is träder, while trädde remains a marked literary or archival form used to recount past formal events.