Önden

änden is a Swedish noun meaning “the end” or “the far end” of something. It can denote the final part of a sequence, the distant point of a space, or a boundary. The term is used in literal senses (the end of a street or the far end of a room) as well as in figurative senses to indicate a limit or conclusion. In literary and poetic usage, the word may appear with a heightened sense of finality or boundary.

Etymology and forms: The word derives from older Germanic roots shared with related words in other languages, such as Danish ende, Norwegian ende, and German Ende, all meaning end or boundary. In Swedish the form that corresponds to the definite sense is historically linked to these cognates, though the exact spelling and usage have developed within Swedish grammar over time. The basic sense remains the same across contexts: it points to an end point, either physical or abstract.

Usage and context: In everyday Swedish, änden is most commonly encountered in literal contexts, but it also appears in metaphorical phrasing to express culmination, limits, or finality. It can be found in prose, poetry, and historical writing, where it helps convey the notion of an ultimate point or boundary.

See also: Ende (German), End (English).