Arbeider

Arbeider is a noun used in Norwegian and Dutch to denote a person who performs manual or industrial labor; in English it translates roughly as "worker" or "laborer." The word is built from the verb "to work" in each language and has cognates in other Germanic languages, notably the German Arbeiter.

In Norwegian, arbeider is a common term for a worker and appears in everyday speech as well as in historical and political contexts. The name of the main Norwegian labour party, Arbeiderpartiet, literally incorporates the word.

In Dutch, arbeider similarly means a manual worker and is widely used to describe people employed in industry or agriculture. It features in terms such as Arbeidersklasse (the working class). Historically, the term also appeared in party names, for example the Sociaal-Democratische Arbeiderspartij (SDAP), a precursor of the Dutch socialist movement.

Across both languages, arbeider carries a neutral, descriptive connotation and is closely associated with labor and the working class. In contemporary usage, context determines whether the term is purely occupational or carries broader social or political implications related to labor rights and class.