skygge

Danish

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ˈsɡ̊yɡ̊ə]

Etymology 1

From Old Norse skuggi, from Proto-Germanic *skuwwô (“shadow, reflection”). The Danish noun has taken over the vowel from the verb, see below.

Noun

skygge c (singular definite skyggen, plural indefinite skygger)

1. shadow
2. (uncountable) shade

   Der er 30 grader i skyggen.

   It is 30 degrees in the shade.

Declension

Declension of skygge

common gender	Singular		Plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	skygge	skyggen	skygger	skyggerne
genitive	skygges	skyggens	skyggers	skyggernes

References

“skygge,1” in Den Danske Ordbog

Etymology 2

From Old Norse skyggja, derived from the noun skuggi.

Verb

skygge (imperative skyg, infinitive at skygge, present tense skygger, past tense skyggede, perfect tense har skygget)

1. to block the light, casting something into darkness

   Jeg kan ikke læse når du skygger for lampen.

   I cannot read when you block the lamplight.

   • 2003, Gyldendals Minilex. Biologi, Gyldendal Uddannelse, →ISBN, page 71:

     I søer medfører e ofte en tæt bestand af ▻alger i overfladen; algerne skygger for lyset til bundvegetationen, som derved uddør.

     In lakes, e often results in a dense population of algae in the surface area; the algae block the light for the vegetation on the bottom, which, consequently, die out.

   • 2007, Gyldendals farveflora, Gyldendal A/S, →ISBN, page 34:

     Trækronerne bliver små og når sammen i toppen, bladene skygger for lyset så de nederste grene går ud, og stammerne bliver lange og lige.

     The treetops become small and reach together in the top, the leaves block the light such that the lowest branches die, and the trunks become long and straight.

2. to block someone's line of vision
   • 2014, Lise Legarth, Kaj Albert Thomasen, Erindringsglimt: En brevveksling mellem to søskende, BoD – Books on Demand, →ISBN, page 319:

     Er man som ung bare pr definition "et andet sted”, hvor redebyggeriet og ens ungdommelige livslyst skygger for udsigten til livets barske realiteter.^[sic]

     Is one, as a young person, just per definition "somewhere else", where the nesting and one's youthful joie de vivre block the view of the harsh realities of life.

   • 2013, Hanne Marie Svendsen, Himmelsten: Erindringsskitser og billeder fra Skagen, Gyldendal A/S, →ISBN:

     Stort set var byen fascinerende, skønt der var alt for mange høje huse, der skyggede for himlen og spærrede for drømmene.

     Generally, the city was fascinating, although there were much too many tall houses, that blocked out the sky and blocked the dreams.

3. (espionage) to shadow, to covertly follow

References

“skygge,2” in Den Danske Ordbog

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology 1

From Old Norse skuggi.

Noun

skygge m (definite singular skyggen, indefinite plural skygger, definite plural skyggene)

1. a shadow (dark image projected onto a surface)

   kaste skygge - cast a shadow

2. shade

Derived terms

• skyggefull
• skyggelue
• skyggeside
• øyeskygge, øyenskygge

Etymology 2

From Old Norse skyggja and skyggva; from English shadow (sense 2).

Verb

skygge (imperative skygg, present tense skygger, simple past skygga or skygget or skygde, past participle skygga or skygget or skygd)

1. to shade (from direct light)
2. to shadow (follow somebody)

Derived terms

• overskygge

References

• “skygge” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology 1

Adjective

skygge

1. definite singular of skygg
2. plural of skygg

Etymology 2

From Old Norse skuggi, via skugge.

Alternative forms

• skugge

Noun

skygge n (definite singular skygget, indefinite plural skygge, definite plural skygga)

1. shade, shadow

Derived terms

• augeskygge

References

• “skygge” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Swedish

Adjective

skygge

1. definite natural masculine singular of skygg