svepskäl

Swedish

Etymology

Superficially svepa (“sweep”) +‎ skäl (“reason”), formed by analogy with the older, archaic noun svepsak (with the same meaning). The first half of compound is cognate with Icelandic svipur (“appearance”). Attested since 1807.

Noun

svepskäl n

1. a pretext (false reason put forth for something)

Declension

Declension of svepskäl

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	svepskäl	svepskäls
	definite	svepskälet	svepskälets
plural	indefinite	svepskäl	svepskäls
	definite	svepskälen	svepskälens

Synonyms

• förevändning
• förespegling
• (archaic) pretext

See also

• undanflykt

References

• svepskäl in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• svepskäl in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• svepskäl in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)
• svepskäl in Elof Hellquist, Svensk etymologisk ordbok (1st ed., 1922)