Bytning

Bytning is a noun used in Danish and Norwegian to describe the act or process of exchanging goods or services, and, more broadly, the substitution of one item for another. The term stems from the verb bytte, meaning to exchange, with the -ning suffix forming an abstract noun. In everyday speech the verb bytte is more common, while bytning appears mainly in formal, historical, or legal contexts.

In economic and commercial language, bytning is often discussed together with byttehandel, the term for barter trading without money. Bytning can also describe substitution within systems or contracts, such as replacing a component or participant in an agreement. In ordinary language, however, the concept is usually expressed with phrases like å bytte or en byttehandel rather than the standalone bytning.

Geographically and register-wise, bytning is attested in Norwegian and Danish sources, though its frequency varies by dialect and text type. In modern Norwegian, bytte is the preferred noun for the concept, while bytning may appear in dictionaries, encyclopedias, or academic writing when describing the notion in a general sense.

See also: byttehandel, bytte, substitution, barter. Cross-linguistic equivalents include terms such as barter in English and Tausch in German.