ægte

Ægte is a Danish adjective meaning genuine, real, or authentic. It is used to describe objects as well as abstract qualities or relationships when authenticity is being emphasized. Examples include ægte guld (genuine gold), ægte sølv (genuine silver), ægte kærlighed (true love), and ægte venner (genuine friends). The term also appears in family-related compounds such as ægtepar (a married couple) and ægtefælle (a spouse). The opposite form is uægte, meaning not genuine, counterfeit, or, in historical language, illegitimate.

Etymology and cognates: ægte shares a common Germanic heritage with related words in other Scandinavian languages. It is cognate with Norwegian ekte and Swedish äkta, and aligns with German echt. These forms all convey the sense of authenticity or rightful, proper quality across Germanic tongues.

Usage context: ægte is versatile and common in both everyday speech and formal contexts, including commerce, art, and descriptions of relationships. In legal or commercial language, it signals that a product or claim is not a reproduction or imitation. In discussions of family history, historical usage contrasted ægte (legitimate) with uægte (illegitimate), though modern language tends to use more neutral phrasing when referring to birth status.

See also: uægte, ægtefælle, ægtepar, ægteskab. Ægte shares roots with similar words in the Scandinavian languages and is recognized as the standard Danish term for authenticity and realness.