Bøger

Bøger are books in Danish, bound collections of written or printed pages that convey information, stories, or ideas. A single book is called a bog, while bøger refers to multiple works. They can be fiction, non-fiction, reference works, or a mix of texts and images.

The Danish word bog is cognate with Norwegian bok and Swedish bok, and with German Buch; its origins lie in Old Norse bók and related Germanic terms, reflecting a long shared linguistic tradition for written culture.

Historically, books began as manuscript codices prepared by hand in monastic scriptoria, evolving after the invention of the printing press in the 15th century into mass-produced volumes. Over time, formats shifted from parchment and paper to paperback and hardcover, and today many books exist in digital forms in addition to traditional physical copies.

Formats and genres include fiction, non-fiction, textbooks, reference works, and children's literature. In contemporary publishing, books may be printed and sold in physical form or delivered as e-books (digital formats such as EPUB or MOBI) and audiobooks. Cataloging systems such as ISBN help organize and identify editions for libraries, booksellers, and readers.

Bøger play a central role in education, culture, and personal literacy, with libraries, schools, and publishers supporting access and preservation. Ongoing challenges include copyright and licensing, digitization of older works, and ensuring long-term accessibility and preservation in changing technologies.