norwegian

norwegian — adjective

1. Connected with the country of Norway — for example, its people, culture, languag

1.adjectiveA1
Definition

Connected with the country of Norway — for example, its people, culture, language, or products.

Example

Olivia bought a beautiful Norwegian wool sweater during her trip to Bergen.

collocation: Norwegian wool sweater / Norwegian salmon / Norwegian furniture

The Norwegian fjords are known for their dramatic cliffs and deep blue water.

Common collocations
  • Norwegian salmon
  • Norwegian wool
  • Norwegian design
  • Norwegian government
  • Norwegian coast

Usage Note

As an adjective, Norwegian always comes before the noun it describes (e.g. Norwegian food, Norwegian music). Do not confuse with the noun forms: a Norwegian (person) vs. Norwegian (language).

Common Mistakes

I bought a Norway sweater.
I bought a Norwegian sweater.
Use the adjective form Norwegian (not the country name Norway) to describe things from Norway.

norwegian — noun

Word family

  • Norway
    nounA1
  • Norwegian-American
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Norwegian refers specifically to Norway — its people, language, and culture. Nordic is a broader term covering Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland, and often includes cultural and political cooperation. Scandinavian traditionally refers to Denmark, Sweden, and Norway (the three Scandinavian kingdoms), though some also include Iceland and the Faroe Islands based on shared linguistic roots. Swedish, similarly, is specific to Sweden. For example: Norwegian salmon comes from Norway, but Nordic design can come from any of the five Nordic countries. A Norwegian speaker understands Norwegian; a Scandinavian speaker may understand some Norwegian but likely speaks Swedish, Danish, or Norwegian.

Norwegian ↗NordicScandinavianSwedish ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Prepositions

  • from Norway
  • in Norway

Etymology

LatinOld NorseEnglish

The word Norwegian comes from the medieval Latin Norvegia, meaning 'north way' or 'the northern route', combined with the English suffix -ian (meaning 'belonging to'). The name originally referred to the sea route along the coast of Scandinavia that the Norse people used. By the 16th century, Norwegian was being used in English to describe both the people and the language of Norway.