vittra

Swedish

Etymology 1

Borrowed from German wittern (“to scent”), verwittern (“to erode”), both from Middle High German weter (“weather”). Compare Danish forvitre and Norwegian Nynorsk forvitra.

Verb

vittra (present vittrar, preterite vittrade, supine vittrat, imperative vittra)

2. (sometimes with bort (“away”) or other particles) to break down into small particles (often of mountains and the like, through natural processes), to weather

   Synonym: (completely) förvittra

4. to pick up a scent; to smell (also figuratively)

   Han såg att hunden vittrade något

   He could tell the dog was picking up some scent

   Laget vittrade blod när motståndarlagets bästa spelare utvisades

   The team smelt blood when the best player in the opposing team was sent off

Usage notes

• Sometimes used figuratively similar to how wither would be used in English in (sense 1), though vissna is closer to the literal meaning.
• See vittring to get a sense of how (sense 2) might be used.

Conjugation

Conjugation of vittra (weak)

	Active		Passive
Infinitive	vittra		vittras
Supine	vittrat		vittrats
Imperative	vittra		—
Imper. plural1	vittren		—
	Present	Past	Present	Past
Indicative	vittrar	vittrade	vittras	vittrades
Ind. plural1	vittra	vittrade	vittras	vittrades
Subjunctive2	vittre	vittrade	vittres	vittrades
	Participles
Present participle	vittrande
Past participle	vittrad
1 Archaic. 2 Dated. See the appendix on Swedish verbs.

Related terms

• vittring

See also

• vädra

Etymology 2

Doublet of vätte.

Noun

vittra c

1. (folklore) a mythological, underground-dwelling creature from Scandinavian folklore

Declension

Declension of vittra

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	vittra	vittras
	definite	vittran	vittrans
plural	indefinite	vittror	vittrors
	definite	vittrorna	vittrornas

See also

• väsen

References

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