gatene

Gatene is the definite plural form of the Norwegian noun gata, meaning street. It is used to refer to the street network of a city or to a specific set of streets. For example, gatene i Oslo refers to the streets of Oslo, and gatene i sentrum refers to streets in the city center. As a definite plural, gatene signals that the reference is to a known or identified group of streets rather than streets in general.

Origin and linguistic notes: The noun gata derives from Old Norse gata and is cognate with related Germanic terms for street. Gatene follows the Norwegian pattern for feminine nouns with a definite plural ending, reflecting both plurality and definiteness.

Usage: The term is common in everyday language, journalism, and literature where urban settings are described. It also appears in maps, street signage, and toponymy as part of phrases denoting a city’s road network. In cross-linguistic contexts, other Scandinavian languages have similar words for street (for example, Danish gade, Swedish gata) with corresponding plural definite forms, illustrating shared linguistic roots across the region.