återfört

Återfört is a Swedish past participle form of återföra, used as an adjective or predicate in formal writing. The verb återföra means to bring back, return to a previous state, or restore to a original position or owner. As a participle, återfört denotes that something has been brought back or restored, often in contexts involving objects, property, or records.

Etymology and formation

The word combines the prefix åter-, meaning “back” or “again,” with föra, “to bring or convey.” The form återfört is the supine/past participle used in perfect or passive constructions, and it commonly appears in phrases describing a completed action of returning or restoring.

Usage

Återfört is most typical in formal, official, or technical Swedish, including legal, administrative, and museum or heritage contexts. It is used to describe items or cases that have been returned to their rightful place, owner, or origin, or that have been restored to a previous condition. Examples include restoration of cultural property, return of artifacts to a country’s museums, or the reenactment of a state where records have been brought back into proper custody.

Common contexts

- Objects and cultural heritage: “Föremålet har återförts till museet.”

- Ownership or custody: “Tillvaratagna dokument har återförts till den tidigare ägaren.”

- Administrative or archival work: “Arkivhandlingarna har återförts till arkivet.”

Relation to related terms

Återföra is the base verb; återfört is the participle form. Related nouns include återföring (the act of returning) and återlämnande (handing back). The word is distinct from återberätta, which means to retell or recount.

See also

återföra, återföring, återlämnandet, återuppföra.