stjärt

Swedish

en sädesärla som vippar på stjärten (a wagtail wagging its tail [Vippa specifically refers to a bobbing motion. For a dog or the like, "vifta på svansen" is used.])

Etymology

From Old Swedish stiærter, stærter, from Old Norse stertr, from Proto-Germanic *stertaz.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɧɛrt/
• Rhymes: -ɛrt

Noun

stjärt c

1. (somewhat colloquial) a bottom, a behind, a butt
   • 1994, Per Johan Widestrand (lyrics and music), “Älskade ängel [Darling [beloved] angel]”, performed by Lill-Babs:

     Hur kan en enda människa få allt och ännu mer? Allt manligt, muskligt är på plats, det är fantastiskt, det man ser. Och musklerna i din fasta stjärt får mitt blod att strömma till. Ditt hår är vilt som ett pinat hav, jag kan inte sitta still. Det måste varit dig Gud tänkte på när han skapade sin man, för det finns inte någonting som du inte kan.

     How can a single person get everything and [even, yet] more? Everything manly, muscly^[sic] [more ad-hoc-sounding in Swedish] is in place, it is amazing, what you see. And the muscles in your firm butt get my blood flowing [get my blood to flow till (expressing suddenness, like a surge)]. Your hair is wild like a tormented sea, I can't sit still. It must have been you God thought of when he created his man, because there is nothing that you can't do [that you not can (is able to)].

2. a tail of certain animals, primarily birds, fish, insects and reptiles (tail of a non-mammal or that does not look like a typical mammal's tail (dolphins have a stjärt), roughly)

   fågelns stjärt

   the bird's tail

   kräftstjärtar

   crayfish tails (as food)

   1. (by extension) a tail of some similar objects, for example an airplane

Usage notes

• Bit less cutesy-sounding compared to rumpa.
• For a non-mammal with a tail reminiscent of a typical mammal's tail (for example a crocodile or scorpion), svans (typical mammalian tail) and stjärt are often used interchangeably.
• Saying "fågelns svans" (the bird's tail) brings up the mental image of a bird having something like a cat's tail.

Declension

Declension of stjärt
	Singular		Plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Nominative	stjärt	stjärten	stjärtar	stjärtarna
Genitive	stjärts	stjärtens	stjärtars	stjärtarnas

Derived terms

• rödstjärt
• stjärtgosse
• stjärtmes
• stjärtskåra
• tvestjärt

See also

• vippa

References

• stjärt in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• stjärt in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)