Avbruddene

Avbruddene is a Danish term that generally translates to "the interruptions." In linguistics and everyday language, it refers to moments when ongoing activity or discourse is interrupted by a new utterance, event, or external factor. The base noun is avbrud, and the definite plural form avbruddene denotes “the interruptions.”

Etymology and usage are straightforward within Danish grammar: avbrud is derived from the verb avbryde, meaning to interrupt or discontinue. The expression avbruddene can appear in both analytical writing and ordinary speech to characterize instances where the flow of talk, action, or media is halted or disrupted.

In discourse analysis and conversation studies, avbruddene are examined as part of turn-taking dynamics. Researchers distinguish interruptions from overlaps, repairs, and silences, analyzing factors such as speaker intention, conversational politeness, intonation, and nonverbal cues. The concept helps describe how conversations recover from interruptions and how they influence conversational coherence and social relationships.

In media and everyday life, avbruddene can refer to planned breaks (such as commercial breaks or program pauses) or to unplanned disturbances (like technical problems or external noises) that interrupt a broadcast or activity. The term is used descriptively rather than prescriptively, without implying a normative judgment about the interruption itself.

There is no single, unique entity named Avbruddene; rather, it functions as a general Danish term applied across contexts to denote interruptions. It appears in scholarly discussions of language, communication, and Danish media, and is also part of everyday vocabulary describing interruptions in various settings. See also: interruption, overlap in conversation, turn-taking, discourse analysis.