farlige

Farlige is a grammatical form used in Danish and Norwegian to describe something as dangerous. It is the plural inflection of the adjective farlig, and it appears before plural nouns to indicate danger. The form is not a standalone noun.

In both Danish and Norwegian, adjectives agree with the noun they modify in number. Farlige is used before indefinite plural nouns, and also before definite plural nouns with the definite article in the noun phrase. For example, Danish: farlige væsner (dangerous beings) and de farlige væsner (the dangerous beings). Norwegian: farlige stoffer (dangerous substances) and de farlige stoffene (the dangerous substances). The meaning remains “dangerous,” but the word changes to match plural nouns.

Swedish uses a related but differently inflected form, farliga, for the plural. For example, farliga ämnen means dangerous substances in Swedish. This demonstrates a shared Germanic heritage but distinct standard forms across the languages.

Etymology and language family: farlig and its plural farlige are native to the North Germanic branch of the Germanic language family. The modern forms reflect regular inflection patterns for adjectives in Danish and Norwegian, with Swedish using a parallel but slightly different plural ending.

Usage context: farlige primarily appears in descriptive, safety, and warning contexts, such as labels, signs, or descriptive text, where plural nouns require a plural adjective. The term does not function as a noun in standard usage.