fjerdedel

Fjerdedel is a Norwegian noun meaning one fourth of something, i.e., the quantity equal to 1/4 of a whole. It is used in arithmetic, statistics and everyday language to express a quarter, a quarter share, or a part of a whole. For example, en fjerdedel av eplene means one quarter of the apples; to cut a cake into four equal portions yields four fjerdedeler.

In mathematical notation, fjerdedel corresponds to the fraction 1/4; in decimal form it is typically written as 0,25 in Norwegian usage, which uses a comma as the decimal separator. The plural is fjerdedeler, used when referring to several quarters.

Etymology: the word is built from del (part) and the prefix fjerd- (from four), reflecting its meaning as the fourth part. Cognates exist in other Scandinavian languages, such as Swedish fjärdedel and Danish fjerdedel, sharing the same root.

Usage notes: fjerdedel can describe proportions in various contexts, including finance (en fjerdedel av budsjettet), demography (en fjerdedel av befolkningen), and geography or measurement (en fjerdedel av arealet). It is distinct from kvartal, which can refer to a calendar quarter or a quarter in a city block, and from tredjeled or tredjedel, which denote one third rather than one fourth.

See also: fractions, percent, halvdel, tredjedel, fjärdedel (Swedish).