byen

Byen is the definite singular form of the noun by in Danish and Norwegian, meaning "the city" or "the town." It refers to a populated urban area and is used to talk about the city in general or about the city center. The indefinite form by and the plural byer are used when speaking about cities in general or multiple cities.

Etymology: The word derives from Old Norse bý or by, meaning town or settlement. In the transition to modern Danish and Norwegian, by came to denote a city, and byen is formed by adding the definite suffix -en.

Usage and examples: In Norwegian, one can say Hva skjer i byen i kveld? In Danish, Hvad sker der i byen i aften? In both languages, byen is used to refer to the city when it is understood from context or previously mentioned. The term also appears in compounds and fixed expressions such as storbyen meaning "the big city" or i byen meaning "in the city." While byen can refer to a specific city in conversation, the proper name of the city is typically used for precise reference.

See also: by, the base noun in Danish and Norwegian; landsby, the word for village in Norwegian and Danish; storbyen, the big city; toponyms and place-name usage in Scandinavian languages.