Morphology Patterns
Understand how Norwegian words are built from prefixes, roots, and suffixes. Learn the meaning of common word parts and expand your vocabulary.
Prefixes
Word parts added before the root
Old Norse origin, intensifying/completing action.
Prefix indicating a process or result; Germanic origin.
Intensive prefix, Germanic origin.
Old Norse *fyrir* (before, for), indicates advocacy.
Old Norse *undr* meaning 'under', indicates location or direction.
Old Norse origin, prepositional prefix meaning 'in, into'.
Old Norse origin, separative function.
Old Norse origin, indicates direction or completion.
Old Norse origin, indicates a process or action 'out of' or 'from'.
Old Norse origin, meaning 'together' or 'with'.
Latin origin, indicates repetition.
Latin origin, indicates inclusion.
Showing 12 of 50 patterns
Roots
Core meaning-bearing word parts
Old Norse origin, meaning 'work'
Old Norse origin, meaning 'to show, to teach'
Old Norse origin, meaning 'formation' or 'education'.
Old Norse origin, meaning 'cut, section, average'.
Derived from 'ruste' (to arm), meaning 'armament'.
Germanic origin, meaning 'position, state'.
Related to 'skanne' (to scan, investigate) - Old Norse origin, not a standalone root in modern Norwegian
From Old Norse, meaning 'to write'. Verbal origin.
Old Norse origin, meaning 'hand', evolved to 'preliminary'
From Danish/Norwegian 'konkurrence', ultimately from Latin 'concursus'.
Old Norse origin, meaning 'way' or 'course'.
Derived from *handling* (negotiation), *hand* (hand) + *-ing* (verbal noun suffix).
Showing 12 of 50 patterns
Suffixes
Word parts added after the root
Genitive/linking suffix
Germanic origin, nominalizing suffix.
Nominalizing suffix, Old Norse *-ing*.
Norwegian noun-forming suffix.
Germanic origin, forms a verbal noun (gerund).
Nominalizing suffix, derived from *å skride*.
Nominalizing suffix, turning a verb into a noun (gerund).
Genitive suffix, linking morphemes.
Germanic origin, nominalization
Genitive/possessive marker, also used to form nouns from verbs.
Nominalizing suffix, Old Norse origin.
Showing 12 of 50 patterns