Uret

Uret is a noun used in several Scandinavian languages to denote a clock or timepiece. It is the definite singular form of the base noun ur, which refers to a clock or watch. The form uret appears in Norwegian and Danish and is commonly found in formal writing as well as standard prose.

In Norwegian Bokmål, the base noun ur means a clock or watch, and the definite form uret means “the clock.” The indefinite form is typically ur or et ur, depending on regional usage and grammatical agreement. In Danish, ur similarly serves as the word for a clock, with uret as the definite form meaning “the clock”; the indefinite form is often et ur. In both languages, uret functions as a conventional way to refer to a specific clock that has already been mentioned or is understood from context.

Etymology and cognates point to a shared Germanic origin. The term ur is cognate with related timekeeping words in neighboring languages, reflecting historical usage of body clocks and public clocks in daily life. Over time, more modern vocabulary for clocks (such as klokke in Norwegian and Danish, or klocka in Swedish) has become common in everyday speech, while uret remains a standard written form for the definite article.

Usage notes: Uret tends to appear in more formal, historical, or regional texts. In contemporary everyday Norwegian and Danish, speakers may opt for alternative terms in certain contexts, and the choice of word can vary by dialect and register. See also ur, clock, and related Germanic cognates for broader linguistic context.