Breakdown of Allt hittegods är ägarlöst, men allting har ett värde.
vara
to be
ett
a, an (neuter)
ha
to have
men
but
Questions & Answers about Allt hittegods är ägarlöst, men allting har ett värde.
Why is allt used before hittegods, but allting is used on its own later?
This highlights the core difference between these two words. Allt is dual-purpose: it can stand alone, but it can also act as a determiner modifying a noun, which it does here to mean "all lost property". Allting, however, is exclusively a pronoun meaning "everything". It must stand on its own, so you can never place a noun directly after it.
Could I say allt har ett värde instead of allting har ett värde in the second half?
Yes, you can. Because allt is a dual-purpose word, it functions perfectly well as a standalone pronoun meaning "everything". However, Swedish speakers often choose allting when they want to put a bit more weight or emphasis on the idea of "every single thing", making it a great fit for the contrast in this sentence.
How is the word ägarlöst formed, and why does it end in -t?
What makes up the compound word hittegods?