Givelse

Givelse is a noun used in Danish and Norwegian that denotes the act of giving, delivering, or conferring something to another person or party. In everyday Danish, the common word for a present or gift is gave; givelse tends to occur in more formal or compound expressions or in legal and religious contexts, where it signifies the act or result of giving rather than the item itself.

In Danish, compounds such as overgivelse appear, meaning surrender or handover, particularly in legal or administrative language. Similar formations exist in Norwegian, where overgivelse or overgiving expresses delivery or surrender; givelse by itself is rarer and is mostly found in older or specialized texts referring to the act of giving or conferring.

Etymology: givelse is derived from the verb give, with the nominalizing suffix -else, a pattern common in Germanic languages to denote an action or process. The sense aligns with related terms in neighboring languages used in law, government, and theology.

Usage notes: In modern, everyday Danish or Norwegian, speakers are more likely to use gave for a present and overgivelse for handing over, surrender, or delivery. Givelse remains a formal term that appears mainly in written registers, glossaries, or specialized discourse.

See also: gift, overgivelse, handing over, donation, conferment.