fagkyndig

Fagkyndig is a term used in Norwegian and Danish to describe a person who possesses specialized professional knowledge or qualifications in a particular field. As an adjective, it denotes competence in a subject area; as a noun, it can refer to a person with such expertise or to an expert witness in legal or official contexts (for example, a fagkyndig vitne in court).

Etymology traces the word to fag, meaning a field or subject, and kyndig or kunnig, meaning knowledgeable. The construction is parallel to similar Germanic terms such as German fachkundig, reflecting a long-standing concept of subject-specific expertise.

In practice, fagkyndig is commonly used in legal, regulatory, and professional settings to indicate the involvement of someone with verifiable technical competence. A fagkyndig opinion or assessment is expected to be informed by specialized training, credentials, and experience in the relevant discipline. The precise qualifications required depend on the field and jurisdiction, and may involve professional licenses, certifications, or institutional appointment.

Fields in which the label is frequently applied include engineering, medicine, accounting and auditing, education, information technology, and safety or quality assurance. The term emphasizes subject-specific knowledge rather than general expertise, and is often contrasted with broader notions of expertise or with the formal role of a sakkyndig, an expert appointed by a court or authority.