eksempel

Eksempel is a noun in Danish and Norwegian meaning an instance or illustration used to clarify or demonstrate something. It is commonly used in education, explanations, and demonstrations. The term is cognate with Swedish exempel and English example.

Originating from Latin exemplum meaning "a sample, model," the word arrived in European languages via Old French exemple. The Latin form is the source of many Romance and Germanic terms, and English example is a direct cognate.

In Danish and Norwegian Bokmål, the indefinite singular is et eksempel; the plural is eksempler; the definite forms are eksemplerne (Danish) and eksemplene (Norwegian Bokmål). The word is used similarly across these languages to denote a representative case or illustration. In Norwegian, the closely related noun døme is also common in everyday language, though eksempel remains widespread in formal writing.

Usage and function:

Eksempel serves to illustrate rules, concepts, or claims. In prose and pedagogy, it is common to introduce a point with for example = for eksempel. Example sentences include: Danish: Dette er et godt eksempel. For eksempel kan man bruge det til at illustrere pointen. Norwegian Bokmål: Dette er et godt eksempel. For eksempel kan man bruke dette i undervisningen.

See also: example, exemplum, demonstration.