vänt

Vänt is a Swedish word that appears as a participial form in the language’s verbal system. It is primarily encountered as the past participle form associated with certain verbs, most notably the verbs vänta (to wait) and vända (to turn), where it serves in compound tenses with auxiliary verbs. In modern usage, vänt marks a completed action or a changed state when attached to a suitable auxiliary such as har or hade, depending on the construction and meaning of the main verb.

The form is characteristic of Swedish participle morphology, where the same spelling often serves across related verbs in different semantic domains. Etymologically, vänt traces back to older North Germanic participle formations and has cognates in closely related languages such as Norwegian and Danish, though the exact developments differ between languages. In Swedish, the participial form is typically invariable with respect to gender and number when used in perfect constructions, contrasting with languages that require agreement with the subject.

In usage, vänt functions mainly within verb phrases and is not commonly used as a standalone adjective in contemporary standard Swedish. Its interpretation depends on the verb it complements: with vänta, it relates to delaying or awaiting, while with vända it conveys a turning or turning-back action. For lexicographic purposes, viktig related forms include the infinitives vänta and vända, from which vänt derives.

See also: vänta, vända, Swedish participle.