beskrivende

Beskrivende is an adjective used in Danish, Norwegian, and related Scandinavian languages meaning descriptive. In linguistics and language studies it refers to approaches that describe how language is actually used, rather than how it should be used. A beskrivende grammar, or beskrivende grammatikk, documents phonology, morphology, syntax, vocabulary, and usage across dialects and styles without prescribing normative rules. This contrasts with prescriptive grammar, which sets out rules intended to govern correct usage.

Beskrivende descriptions rely on data from corpora, field observation, and analysis of real speech and writing. They aim to reflect language variation, including regional differences, sociolects, and historical change. The term is used across Scandinavian academic writing and translations of the English term descriptive. The descriptive approach is foundational in modern linguistics, sociolinguistics, and language documentation, as it seeks to capture language as it is used rather than as it should be.

In broader use, beskrivende can describe a style of writing or analysis that emphasizes description over prescriptive guidance. For example, beskrivende tekst refers to descriptive text, and beskrivende stil to a descriptive style. Etymologically, it derives from beskrive meaning to describe, with the suffix -ende forming an adjective. The term is widely understood in Danish and Norwegian educational and scholarly contexts.