Personlig

Personlig is an adjective used in Swedish, Norwegian, and Danish to mean personal or relating to a person. It can describe something connected with an individual, such as personal feelings or personal belongings, as well as private or intimate aspects of life.

Etymology and form: the word is built from the noun person and the adjectival suffix -lig, yielding a meaning close to “having the properties of a person.” The root person itself ultimately traces back to Latin persona. The cognate forms are common across Scandinavian languages, with small adjustments in spelling and grammar.

Usage and examples: common phrases include personlig integritet (personal privacy or integrity), personlig information or personlig opplysninger (personal information), and personopplysninger in Swedish or Norwegian for personal data. Other examples are personlig kontakt (personal contact) and personlig egenskap (personal trait). The term often appears in everyday language as well as in legal or policy contexts to indicate something pertaining to an individual.

Geographic and linguistic context: in Swedish, Norwegian, and Danish, personlig serves a similar function, typically agreeing with the noun it modifies in gender and number. While the core meaning is consistent across the languages, each language has its own preferred terminology for official terms related to data protection, such as Swedish personuppgifter for personal data.

Translation and nuance: in English, personlig is commonly translated as “personal.” In legal and technical contexts, the more precise term for personal data is often language-specific—Swedish personuppgifter, Norwegian personopplysninger, and Danish personoplysninger—while personlig remains the everyday adjective for something related to a person or private life.