gyldne

Gyldne is an adjective used in Danish and Norwegian to mean "golden" or "made of gold." It describes color, material, or a quality associated with gold, and is commonly used before nouns to indicate a gold-like or prestigious characteristic. In these languages, gyldne is the form that appears before plural nouns, while the singular base form is gylden.

Etymology and usage context

The word stems from Old Norse gullinn, itself related to the Proto-Germanic root for gold. Gyldne is the modern inflected form that expresses plurality or a specific grammatical construction in everyday language, literature, and heraldic or symbolic contexts. It is often used metaphorically to denote value, beauty, or excellence, not only the physical metal.

Typical phrases and examples

Common collocations include gyldne epler (golden apples), gyldne medaljer (gold medals), and gyldne tider (golden ages). It also appears in idiomatic expressions such as den gyldne regel (the golden rule). In poetry and prose, gyldne is used to evoke wealth, splendor, or a fleeting, idealized quality.

Distinction from related terms

Gyldne expresses the golden quality in color or symbolism, whereas words referring specifically to the metal itself (gold) use different nouns or articles. The term is characteristic of Danish and Norwegian orthography and usage, with equivalents in other languages reflecting similar concepts of value and beauty.

See also

Gold, Golden age, Golden rule, Heraldry.