Sjældnere

Sjældnere is a Danish word that functions as the comparative form of the adjective sjælden, meaning rare. It is used to indicate a higher degree of rarity when comparing two or more things, and it can modify nouns or appear in sentences describing frequency.

Etymology and relation to other Nordic languages explain its formation. The base word sjælden derives from older Nordic forms meaning uncommon, with the comparative suffix -ere yielding sjældnere. Related forms appear in other Scandinavian languages, such as Norwegian and Swedish, reflecting common Germanic roots for words related to rarity or seldomness. The superlative form in Danish is sjældnest, corresponding to the highest degree of rarity.

Grammatical use and style. Sjældnere is widely accepted in both formal and neutral registers, though its use is more common in written or analytical Danish and in scientific or statistical contexts. It typically follows the standard pattern for Danish comparatives: kjærl not involved with fixed prepositions, but usually paired with end to introduce a direct comparison, as in sjældnere end or end sjældnere end. It can also function as an adverbial modifier in phrases describing frequency, such as forekomsten er sjældnere i byer end i landet.

Examples. Forekomsten af dette fænomen er sjældnere end tidligere antaget. Disse hændelser er sjældnere i sommermånederne. Det er en sjældnere begivenhed end forventet.

Se også. sjælden, sjældent, sjældne.

Note: Når man taler om antagelser eller undersøgelser, bruges sjældnere som et mål for relativt lav frekvens frem for et absolut sjældenhedsniveau.