småningom
Swedish
editEtymology
editFirst attested in 1587, an adverb with the looks of a dative plural (-om ending), based on små (“small”), possibly based on Old Swedish adverb smam (dative plural of små) after the m shifted into an n; same as Norwegian småningom.
The separation into småning om is very rare, and probably unhistoric. This is not the preposition om, but a dative ending.
Pronunciation
editAdverb
editsmåningom (not comparable)
- after some time; sooner or later, eventually
- Dessa stammar visade stor mottaglighet för den romerska kulturen och utbytte småningom sina egna idiom mot "lingua romana".
- These tribes showed great receptiveness for the Roman culture and eventually exchanged their own languages for "lingua romana".
Related terms
editReferences
edit- småningom in Elof Hellquist, Svensk etymologisk ordbok (1st ed., 1922)