skena

Swedish

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

skena c

1. (rail transportation) rail, the metal bar that makes the track for a railroad.
   • 1909, Selma Lagerlöf, Tal vid Nobelfesten 10 December 1909‎:

     Mina medresande slumrade var och en i sitt hörn, och jag satt tyst och hörde på tågets dån, då det brusade fram på skenorna.

     My fellow travellers were dozing in their respective corners, and I sat quietly listening to the din of the train, as it roared forward on the rails.

   • 2000, Svenska Dagbladet‎, archived from the original on 28 September 2008:

     På något sätt hade han kommit i kontakt med den strömförande skenan som har 700 volts likström.

     He had somehow come in contact with the 700 volt DC live rail.

2. (sports) blade, runner (e.g. on skates)
   • 2000, Svenska Dagbladet‎, archived from the original on 29 September 2008:

     I traditionssporten ishockey kämpar kombattanterna på skarpslipade skenor, väl inpackade i skydd och visir.

     In the traditional sport ice hockey the players fight on sharp blades, well covered by protective gear and visors.

3. protective or supportive strip of e.g. metal or plastic, splint
   • 1912, August Strindberg, Svenska folket‎:

     Mot medeltidens slut utbyttes järnmaskerna av järn- eller stålplåtar; benen och armarne skyddades av skenor, som med remmar och söljor spändes fast.

     At the end of the middle age the iron masks were replaced by iron or steel plates; the legs and the arms were protected by splints that were fastened with straps and buckles.

   • 2000, Svenska Dagbladet‎, archived from the original on 29 September 2008:

     Då skar de upp halva benet, lade in dräneringsrör och jag fick gips och skenor.

     At that time they cut up half of my leg, put in drainage tubes and I got a cast and splints.

4. (weaving) strip used for basket weaving

Declension

Declension of skena
	Singular		Plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Nominative	skena	skenan	skenor	skenorna
Genitive	skenas	skenans	skenors	skenornas

Synonyms

• (rail): räl
• (blade): skridskoskena
• (splint): spjäla

Compounds

• (rail): kontaktskena
• (strip): pilskena

Verb

skena (present skenar, preterite skenade, supine skenat, imperative skena)

1. to bolt (especially of a horse)
   • 1908, Carl Rupert Nyblom, En sjuttioårings minnen‎:

     Utan att säga ett ord vände han sig om, lade benen på ryggen och skenade till skogs, lättfotad som en hare, och det var knappt möjligt för far att hinna ifatt sin gosse.

     Without a word he turned around, started running and bolted away into the forest, light on his feet as a hare, and father could barely catch his boy.

   • 1909, Leon Larson, Samhällets fiende‎:

     Han kände sig ungefär som en häst som sparkat sönder sina skaklar och som nu kunde få skena i väg så långt han ville utan fruktan för piskan och tygeln.

     He felt something like a horse that had kicked its shackles to pieces, and that now could bolt as far as he pleased without fear of whip or reins.

2. (figuratively) to soar (of prices and the like)

   Priserna skenar

   Prices are soaring

Conjugation

	Active		Passive
Infinitive	skena		—
Supine	skenat		—
Imperative	skena		—
Imper. plural1	skenen		—
	Present	Past	Present	Past
Indicative	skenar	skenade	—	—
Ind. plural1	skena	skenade	—	—
Subjunctive2	skene	skenade	—	—
	Participles
Present participle	skenande
Past participle	—
1 Archaic. 2 Dated. See the appendix on Swedish verbs.

Conjugation of skena (weak)

Derived terms

• skengalen

Anagrams

• asken, ekans, nekas, saken