hemsk
Swedish edit
Etymology edit
Inherited from Old Swedish hemsker (“foolish”), derived from hem (“home”). The original meaning was "who has only stayed at home" or "who has not been out in the world", thus "stupid" or "easily terrified". Cognate of Icelandic heimskur. Compare English homely.
Pronunciation edit
Audio (file)
Adjective edit
hemsk (comparative hemskare, superlative hemskast)
- ghastly, frightful, terrible
- Pojken tyckte att filmen var hemsk.
- The boy thought the film was terrible (frightful)
- Det är hemskt att se djur lida
- It's horrible to see animals suffer
- Planen är hemsk
- The plan is terrible (evil)
Declension edit
| Inflection of hemsk | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Indefinite | Positive | Comparative | Superlative2 |
| Common singular | hemsk | hemskare | hemskast |
| Neuter singular | hemskt | hemskare | hemskast |
| Plural | hemska | hemskare | hemskast |
| Masculine plural3 | hemske | hemskare | hemskast |
| Definite | Positive | Comparative | Superlative |
| Masculine singular1 | hemske | hemskare | hemskaste |
| All | hemska | hemskare | hemskaste |
| 1) Only used, optionally, to refer to things whose natural gender is masculine. 2) The indefinite superlative forms are only used in the predicative. 3) Dated or archaic | |||
Synonyms edit
Related terms edit
Further reading edit
- hemsk in Svensk ordbok.
- hemsk in Elof Hellquist, Svensk etymologisk ordbok (1st ed., 1922)