över

Över is a Swedish preposition and a productive prefix with multiple related meanings. As a preposition it expresses spatial relations such as above, on top of, or across, and it can also indicate figurative senses like more than, in excess of, or during. Examples include gå över bron (go over the bridge), flyga över havet (fly over the sea), and över hela landet (across the whole country). In time-related phrases it can mean throughout or during a period, as in över helgen, över natten, or över sommaren.

As a prefix över- attaches to verbs, adjectives and nouns to convey crossing, superiority, or excess. Common derivatives include övervakning (surveillance), övergång (transition or crossing), överdriven (excessive), överleva (to survive), and överlägsen (superior). The prefix is highly productive in forming new words and often signals that something goes beyond a boundary or limit.

Etymology and usage notes: över originates in Old Norse yfr and is cognate with Danish over and Norwegian over. In Swedish it is written with the umlaut ö and used without changing the form of the following word, as with many prepositions. When expressing quantities, över is used with numerals or amounts: över 50 personer, över 100 kronor. In time expressions, phrases like över natten (overnight), över helgen (during the weekend), and över sommaren (throughout the summer) are common.

Overall, över is a versatile element in Swedish, enabling precise spatial, temporal, and quantitative expressions through both standalone prepositional use and the creation of compounds with related meanings.