grunnene

Grunnene is the definite plural form of the Norwegian noun grunn, a word with several related senses. It can refer to physical ground or surface, to a basis or foundation for something, and to grounds or reasons used to justify a claim or action. The form grunnene specifically denotes multiple grounds that are considered or known.

Grunn is a masculine noun with distinct plural forms. The indefinite plural is grunner, while the definite plural is grunnene. The singular definite form is grunnen. This inflection pattern is common for nouns of this class in Norwegian and is regularly used in both everyday language and more formal writing.

Usage notes and examples can illustrate its different senses. For example, grunnene til beslutningen ble forklart av styret means “the grounds/reasons for the decision were explained by the board.” Another sense is referring to the basis of an argument, as in å presentere grunnene for å endre planen, “to present the grounds for changing the plan.” In legal or more formal contexts, grunnlag or begrunnelse may be preferred for “grounds” or “justification,” but grunnene remains common when speaking of specific, known grounds.

Etymology and related terms: grunn shares roots with Old Norse grunnr and related Germanic forms, with cognates in Danish grund and Swedish grund. In Norwegian, grunn and its compounds cover multiple related ideas, including surface, foundation, and reason, illustrating the broad semantic field that the plural form grunnene can address.