Normer

Normer is the plural form of norm in several Germanic languages, notably Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish. In English-language texts the plural is usually “norms,” but “normer” appears in translations and in linguistic or mathematical discussions written in those languages. The term covers two broad families of concepts: mathematical norms and social norms.

In mathematics, a norm is a function that assigns a non-negative size or length to elements of a vector space. Norms satisfy properties such as non-negativity, definiteness, homogeneity, and the triangle inequality. Common examples include the Euclidean (L2) norm, the Manhattan (L1) norm, and the max (or infinity) norm. Norms induce metrics and are fundamental in analysis, geometry, and optimization, where they measure distance, size, or error.

In the social sciences, normer (norms) refer to shared expectations about appropriate behavior within a group or society. They can be descriptive norms, describing what people typically do, or prescriptive (injunctive) norms, prescribing what people ought to do. Norms influence behavior through informal social sanctions, approval, or stigma. They vary across cultures, subcultures, and contexts, and may change over time as social conditions evolve. Norms can govern everyday actions such as greetings and personal space, but also broader issues like punctuality, honesty, or collective cooperation.

Etymologically, norm derives from Latin norma, meaning a rule or standard. In multilingual contexts, normer appears as the natural plural form, while in English the corresponding plural is normally normss. See also norm, social norm, and various mathematical norms.