Navnet

Navnet is a linguistic term used in Danish and Norwegian to denote the definite form of the noun navn, meaning “the name.” It functions as a definite noun that refers to a specific name already understood in the context, rather than to any name in general. In everyday use, navnet appears in questions and statements about particular names, such as “Hvad er navnet?” or “Jeg kender navnet,” and in phrases like “navnet på byen” (the name of the town).

Etymology and form: The base noun navn comes from Old Norse naf n, a cognate across the Germanic languages. In Danish and Norwegian, the definite singular form is created by the suffix -et attached to navn, yielding navnet. This pattern reflects the broader Germanic system in which a definite article is expressed as a suffix rather than a separate word in these languages. The plural definite form is typically navnene, corresponding to “the names.”

Usage and scope: Navnet is used for specific names of people, places, organizations, or other entities when the name is known to both speaker and listener. It is not a proper name itself but a definite noun that can pair with modifiers or complements, for example “navnet på forfatteren” (the name of the author) or “navnet til byen” (the name of the town). The form contrasts with the indefinite navn (a name) and with equivalents in other languages, such as Swedish namnet or Icelandic nafnið, which follow their own definite forms.

See also: navn, definite article in Danish and Norwegian, language morphology.