Breakdown of Ska vittnesmålet ha försvunnit från arkivet?
ha
to have
från
from
försvinna
to disappear
arkivet
the archive
Questions & Answers about Ska vittnesmålet ha försvunnit från arkivet?
How does ska translate to "reportedly" in a question like this?
In this lesson, ska is used for hearsay, meaning things reported but not verified. When turned into a question, Ska [subject] ha [supine]...? asks about the validity of that rumor. You can translate it as "Is [subject] supposed to have...", "Has [subject] reportedly...", or "Is it true that [subject] is said to have...".
Why do we use ha försvunnit instead of just the past tense försvann?
Because ska is a modal verb, the verb that follows it must be in the infinitive. To show that this reported event already happened in the past, we use the perfect infinitive: ha plus the supine form försvunnit. You can never put a past tense verb like försvann directly after ska.
Could this sentence also mean "Will the testimony have disappeared from the archive?" (as a future prediction)?
Yes, grammatically ska ha försvunnit can also form the future perfect ("will have disappeared"). However, without context suggesting a future deadline, native speakers will almost always interpret this structure as hearsay ("Is it said to have disappeared?").
What are the parts of the compound word vittnesmålet?
It is formed from vittne (witness) plus the linking -s- plus målet (the case). While mål commonly means "goal" or "meal", in legal contexts it means a "case" or "lawsuit". Therefore, ett vittnesmål translates to a witness's statement or testimony.