rotvälta

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word rotvälta. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word rotvälta, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say rotvälta in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word rotvälta you have here. The definition of the word rotvälta will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofrotvälta, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.

Swedish

A rotvälta, an uprooted tree.

Etymology

Compound of rot (root) +‎ välta (felled tree). First attested in 1753.

Compare with Danish rodvælte and Norwegian rotvelte.

Noun

rotvälta c

  1. A windthrow; a fallen uprooted tree or stump (often with the main focus on the roots rather than the trunk).
    • 2013 April 27, Emmelie Wallroth, “Man dog i olycka med rotvälta”, in Aftonbladet:
      En medelålders man omkom när han fastnade under en rotvälta i en skog i Ronneby.
      A middle-aged man died when he got stuck under a windthrow in a forest in Ronneby.
    • 1987, Per Wästberg, Bergets källa, page 375:
      En rotvälta täcks av lianer, strån och luftrötter, ett vrak som ingen hinner plundra förrän det är betäckt.
      A windthrow is covered by lianas, straw and aerial roots, a wreck that no one has time to plunder until it is covered.
    • 1894 March 24, “Dödad vid träfällning”, in Karlstads-Tidningen, page 2:
      Då arb. Gustaf Hällström 19 d:s var syselsatt med huggning af vindfällen på norra Forsnäs skogar föll en större rotvälta öfver honom med den olyckliga påföljd att han som det syntes ögonblickligen dödats.
      When worker Gustaf Hällström on the 19th of this month was busy cutting the blowdown in the forests of northern Forsnäs, a larger windthrow fell on him with the unfortunate consequence that he was apparently killed instantly.
    • 1869 March 3, “Björnjagt [Bear hunt]”, in Aftonbladet, page 3:
      Ju närmare han kom, ju mer växte «Jobs» mod han steg idet närmare och närmare, snart smäller ett skott på något ludet föremål i ett mörkt och djupt hål, bildadt af en rotvälta med kullfallna träd öfver.
      The closer he came, the more "Jobs" courage grew as he stepped closer and closer; soon a shot hits some hairy object in a dark and deep hole, formed by a windthrow with fallen trees above.

Usage notes

  • While the English word windthrow imply that the tree was felled by the wind, a rotvälta can be caused by anything – e.g. wind, soil erosion, flooding, or even the impact of heavy machinery.

Synonyms

See also

References