Berørte

Berørte is a Norwegian term used as the past participle of the verb berøre, which means to touch or to affect. The word functions as an adjective meaning touched or affected and is commonly used to describe people, groups, or things that have been impacted by an event or action. In journalism, policy discourse, and legal contexts, berørte often appears in phrases like de berørte, meaning the affected parties or people.

In addition to its literal sense of physical touch, berørte also conveys emotional impact. For example, jeg ble berørt av historien translates to I was touched (moved) by the story. This dual meaning allows the word to describe both physical contact and emotional or social effects.

Usage and variants: Berørte is used in Norwegian writing in contexts where a group or individual has been influenced, harmed, or otherwise impacted by something, such as a disaster, policy decision, or social issue. The term can appear in both major Norwegian standards, Bokmål and Nynorsk, and is commonly paired with modifiers that specify the nature of the impact (for example, the affected parties or the affected communities).

Related terms and cognates exist in other Nordic languages. Danish uses berørte with similar meaning, while Swedish uses berörda for similar expressions of being affected or touched. The word thus forms part of a family of terms across Scandinavian languages denoting impact, influence, or emotional significance.

See also: affected parties, impact, beröra, berörd (emotional touch).