Bortsett

Bortsett is a Norwegian word that functions as part of the common expression bortsett fra, meaning "except for" or "aside from." It is used to mark an exception to what is stated, either in a sentence or a larger clause.

Etymology and form: Bortsett is formed from bort, meaning "away," and sett, the past participle of sette, meaning "to set." The phrase literally conveys something that is set aside. In practice, the standard construction is bortsett fra, where fra is the preposition that introduces the element being excluded.

Usage: Bortsett fra is used to introduce an exception or qualification to a statement. It can precede a noun phrase or a clause. Examples: Alla møtte opp bortsett fra Leif. (Everyone attended except Leif.) Bortsett fra noen få detaljer var planen vellykket. (Aside from a few details, the plan was successful.) Bortsett fra at det regnet, hadde vi en fin tur. (Except that it was raining, we had a nice trip.) In written Norwegian, bortsett fra is the typical form; bortsett by itself is rarely used outside these constructions.

Variation and synonyms: Common substitutes include unntatt, unntatt fra, or med unntak av, and utenom. These alternatives convey a similar sense of exclusion but may occur in slightly different stylistic contexts or syntactic constructions.

Notes: Bortsett fra is widely used in both Bokmål and Nynorsk and is considered standard in formal and informal Norwegian. The English equivalents are "except for" or "aside from."