Besøkendes

Besøkendes is a linguistic form found in Norwegian and other Scandinavian languages. It represents the genitive (possessive) form of the word besøkende, which can function as both a noun meaning “visitor” and an adjective meaning “visiting” or “attending.” The form besøkendes is used to indicate possession in formal or legal writing, rather than in ordinary speech.

In practice, besøkendes appears primarily in historical, administrative, or legal texts. It signals that something belongs to or relates to the visiting party or person. For example, a phrase such as besøkendes rettigheter would be interpreted as “the visitor’s rights” or “the rights of the visiting party.” The usage is more typical of formal documents and archival material, where older or more ceremonial language is retained.

Relationship to other Scandinavian languages is commonly noted. Similar forms exist in Swedish as besökandes and in Danish as besøgendes, with parallel function in legal and formal registers. These cognate forms reflect shared linguistic heritage and comparable functions in genitive constructions.

In contemporary Norwegian, besøkendes is relatively rare outside specialized texts. Modern phrasing to express possession about a visitor is more often achieved with the normal possessive constructions using possessive pronouns or rephrased sentences, rather than relying on the besøkende besøkendes form.

See also: besøkende, besøk, besøksterminologi, legal Norwegian, Scandinavian legal language.