Frugtbar

Frugtbar is an adjective used in Danish to describe the capacity to produce fruit or results. In agriculture it denotes soil or land that is rich in nutrients and able to sustain crop yields. In biology and demography it refers to fertility, the ability to conceive and bear offspring, or to the rate of births in a population. The term is also used metaphorically to describe ideas, plans, or discussions that are productive.

Etymology and cognates: The word is built from frugt meaning “fruit” and a suffix -bar meaning “capable of” or “bearing.” It has cognates in other Nordic languages, such as Swedish fruktbar and Norwegian fruktbar, with essentially the same meaning.

Usage notes: In everyday Danish, frugtbar is common in agricultural, scientific, and general contexts. It is used for soils described as “frugtbar jord,” as well as for human and animal fertility, and for fruitful discussions or outcomes. The concept’s opposite is often expressed with a negated form, such as ufrugtbar (infertile or barren), depending on style and context.

See also: soil fertility, arable land, fertility rate, fruitful.