19 hours ago
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- Local Sweden
Swedish word of the day: padda
The word padda has two meanings: one that dates back centuries and one that's far more modern.
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Padda is the Swedish word for a common toad (Bufo bufo in Latin). It lives all over Sweden (and almost all of Europe) and is a protected species in Scandinavia.
A frog is known as a groda in Sweden, which you may have heard in Små grodorna, a popular song and dance on Midsummer's Eve about little frogs with neither tails nor ears.
You can tell them apart by looking at their skin. Toads have thick, warty skin and are drier than frogs, who spend more time in the water, and have smooth or slimy skin.
While padda is usually taken to refer to the common toad, which is also known as the European toad in English, there are actually another two species that live in Sweden.
These are the strandpadda (Epidalea calamita or natterjack toad) and grönfläckig padda (Bufotes viridis or European green toad), both of which only live in southern Sweden.
You'll also find the word in sköldpadda, Sweden's wonderfully literal ("shield toad") name for a turtle or tortoise.
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The word padda comes from Old Norse and has existed in Swedish since before 1520.
But it's also got a far more modern meaning.
A padda is also used to refer to a tablet computer, a Swedish twist on iPad.
If you prefer a term not associated with a particular brand, you can also say surfplatta.
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Example sentences:
När är ett barn gammalt nog att få sin egen padda?
When is a child old enough to have its own tablet (or toad)?
Varför sjunger man inte om paddor på Midsommarafton?
Why aren't there any songs about toads on Midsummer's Eve?
Villa, Volvo, Vovve: The Local's Word Guide to Swedish Life, written by The Local's journalists, is available to order. Head to to read more about it. It is also possible to buy your copy from Amazon US, Amazon UK, Bokus or Adlibris.
