lagom (Swedish)
Where does "lagom" come from?
The Swedish word 'lagom' has been attested as an adjective since 1637 and as an adverb since 1675[1]. It originates from the plural dative form of the Swedish word 'lag', meaning 'law', which comes from Old Swedish 'lagh' and Old Norse 'lǫg'[1][2]. Literally translating to 'with the laws', it shifted in meaning to signify 'right, fitting, neither too much nor too little'[1]. A popular folk etymology attributes the origin to the phrase 'laget om', meaning 'to the whole team', though this is distinct from its true historical descent[1].
Open questions
- A common folk etymology attributes the origin of the word to the phrase laget om from the time of Viking long houses. [1]
Full etymology tree
- lagom (Swedish), 'right, fitting, neither too much nor too little'
- derived lag (Swedish), 'law (the body of rules established in a community by its authorities)'
- inherited lagh (Old Swedish)
- inherited lݧg (Old Norse)
- inherited lagh (Old Swedish)
- derived lag (Swedish), 'law (the body of rules established in a community by its authorities)'
Descendants and derived words
- lagom är bäst (Swedish)
Sources
Updated September 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris