utstrakt

Utstrakt is an adjective used in Swedish and Norwegian to describe something that is spread out, extended, or expansive. It can refer to physical space, such as a coastline or landscape, as well as to broader or longer temporal or conceptual scopes. The term is often found in descriptive prose, geography, and literature.

Etymology and form: The word is built from a prefix meaning outward (ut-) combined with a root related to being stretched or drawn out. It is related to the more common Swedish form utsträckt, and utstrakt appears in some dialects and historical texts. In Norwegian, similar meaning forms exist in regional or older usage.

Usage: Utstrakt is primarily used to emphasize breadth or extent. It is less common in everyday speech than utsträckt, but remains standard in literary or formal contexts. It can describe physical features such as en utstrakt kustlinje (an extensive coastline) or ett utstrakt landskap, as well as more figurative breadth, for example an utstrakt horisont (an expansive horizon).

See also and related terms: Utsträckt, vidsträckt, horisont. These terms convey related notions of breadth and extent, with slightly different nuances in tone and frequency of use in modern language.