Lagom

The origin of the term is an archaic dative plural form of {{lang|sv|lag}} ({{gloss|law}}), in this case referring not necessarily to judicial law but common-sense law. Literally meaning {{gloss|according to law}}, a more close translation would be {{gloss|according to custom}} or {{gloss|according to common sense}}.{{cite web | url=https://www.svd.se/se-upp-for-retoriken-om-ursprung | title=Se upp för retoriken om ursprung | work=Svenska Dagbladet | date=7 June 2015 | accessdate=5 December 2019 | author=Karlsson Anna-Malin}} The earliest attestations of the word are from 17th-century texts.{{cite web | url=https://sverigesradio.se/sida/avsnitt/1143348?programid=503 | title=Den mörka sidan av lagom | publisher=Sveriges Radio | date=29 August 2018 | accessdate=5 December 2019 | author=Blennow, Anna}}

A common false etymology claims that it is a contraction of {{lang|sv|laget om}} ({{gloss|around the team}}); according to this myth, the phrase was used in Viking times to specify how much mead one should drink from the horn as it was passed around in order for everyone to receive a fair share.

{{lang|sv|Lagom}} is most often used as an adverb, as in the sentence "{{lang|sv|Han är lagom lång}}" (literally {{gloss|He is just the right height}}). {{lang|sv|Lagom}} can also be used as an adjective: "{{lang|sv|Klänningen var lagom för henne}}" (literally {{gloss|The dress was just right for her}}), which would be equivalent to {{gloss|The dress fits her}}. The adjective form is never inflected.

The value of "just enough" can be compared to the idiom "less is more", or contrasted to the value of "more is better". It is viewed favorably as a sustainable alternative to the hoarding extremes of consumerism: "Why do I need more than two? {{lang|sv|Det är}} [It is] {{lang|sv|lagom}}"AtKisson, Alan. [http://www.islandnet.com/~see/living/articles/rightamount.htm The Right Amount], 2000. It can also be viewed as repressive: "You're not supposed to be too good, or too rich".Gustavsson, 1995.

In a single word, {{lang|sv|lagom}} is said to describe the basis of the Swedish national psyche, one of consensus and equality. "My aunt used to hold out her closed fist and say, "How much can you get in this hand? It's much easier to get something in this [open] hand".Silberman, Steve. [https://www.wired.com/wired/archive/9.04/anoto_pr.html The Hot New Medium: Paper.] 2001

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The word "{{lang|sv|lagom}}" also exists in Norwegian, in both Bokmål and Nynorsk. The connotations in Norwegian, however, are somewhat different from Swedish. In Norwegian the word has synonyms as {{gloss|fitting, suitable, comfortable, nice, decent, well built/proportioned}}. While some synonyms are somewhat similar in meaning (e.g. {{gloss|suitable}} and {{gloss|reasonable}}, {{gloss|fitting}} and {{gloss|in balance}}), many present in Swedish do not exist in Norwegian and vice versa. The Norwegian words {{lang|no|passelig}} and the more common {{lang|no|passe}} are very similar, translating roughly as {{gloss|fitting, adequate, suitable}} in English. {{lang|no|Passe}} can be used in every context where the Swedish {{lang|sv|lagom}} is used, e.g. {{lang|no|passe varm}} ({{gloss|right temperature/adequately warm}}), {{lang|no|passe stor}} ({{gloss|right size}}), etc.

Finnish has the word {{lang|fi|sopivasti}}, which carries similar connotations of {{gloss|just right}}.

The concept of {{lang|sv|lagom}} is similar to the Russian or Ukrainian expression {{lang|ru-latn|normal'no}} ({{lang|ru|нормально}}, literally {{gloss|normally}}), which indicates a sufficient and sustainable state, for example of one's livelihood. In Russian, the word is often used as an answer to the question "how are you?". Polish {{lang|pl|w sam raz}} means the same as {{lang|sv|lagom}}. Comparable terms are found in some south Slavic languages, for example Serbo-Croatian {{lang|sh-latn|umereno}} or {{lang|sh-latn|umjereno}}. In Slovakian, the expression {{lang|sk|tak akurát}} is used.

Ιn ancient Greek, there was the famous phrase of Cleobulus, {{lang|grc-latn|metron ariston}} ({{lang|grc|μέτρον ἄριστον}}), meaning {{gloss|moderation [literally: measure] is best}}.

In Albanian, the word {{lang|sq|taman}} has the same meaning. It is derived from Ottoman Turkish {{lang|ota-latn|tamam}} meaning {{gloss|precisely}}, borrowed from Arabic where it means {{gloss|complete, perfect}}. In Albanian it is used in essentially the same way as {{lang|sv|lagom}}, as in "a {{lang|sq|taman}} amount", "not a {{lang|sq|taman}} person" ({{gloss|not a normal person}}), {{lang|sq|taman!}} ({{gloss|agreed, OK}}), etc. The word {{lang|sq|taman}} is also used in some Slavic languages (South Slavic) and almost perfectly translates {{lang|sv|lagom}} to those languages.

In Thai, the word {{lang|th|พอเพียง}} ({{lang|th-latn|phor phiang}}) expresses a similar meaning.{{Cite web|url=https://thematter.co/pulse/lagom/38232|title=ปรัชญา 'ลากอม' : แง่งามของสวีดิชหรือวิกฤติแห่งความกลาง?|last=SIRICHANTHANUN|first=WASSACHOL|date=2 November 2017|website=the matter|accessdate=3 January 2018}}

In Indonesia, both Indonesian and Javanese, there is a common word for it, {{lang|id|pas}}, which means {{gloss|right amount (countable measurement), match, enough}}.{{Cite web|url=http://kbbi.co.id/arti-kata/pas|title=Arti Kata "pas" Menurut Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia {{!}} KBBI.co.id|website=kbbi.co.id|language=id|access-date=2018-02-13}}

In Swiss German dialects, similar to {{lang|sv|lagom}}, is the word {{lang|gsw|gäbig}}; in German, the term means something like {{gloss|comfortable, suitable, handy}} in the case of objects, or in relation to people and conditions {{gloss|affable, pleasant, sympathetic}}.

{{div col|colwidth=20em}}

• Centrism, a political ideology
• Festina lente
• Gezellig
• Golden mean (philosophy)
• Goldilocks principle
• Hygge
• Law of Jante
• Mathematical optimization, choosing not too high, not too low values of input parameters in view to maximize/minimize an objective function
• Moderate, a middle position in a left/right political scale
• Moderation, eliminating or lessening extremes
• Simple living
• Slow movement
• Social model
• The Story of the Three Bears
• Sweden: The Middle Way
• Sweet spot
• Via media, the philosophy of the 'middle way'
• Wasat (Islamic term)

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{{reflist}}

{{Wiktionary}}

• {{wikiquote-inline}}
• The Swedish Academy's dictionary, [http://spraakdata.gu.se/saob/ Svenska Akademiens ordbok.]

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Category:Swedish words and phrases

Category:Culture of Sweden