hvidligt

Hvidligt is a Danish adjective meaning whitish or pale in color. It describes a quality of light or color that resembles white but is not pure white. The term is used for surfaces, fabrics, light, and colors that appear softer or more muted than true white. Hvidligt can apply to light, for example et hvidligt lys or et hvidligt skær, and to materials or tones, such as hvidligt stof or hvidligt tøj. In everyday language it's common in descriptive or artistic contexts, including photography, design, and meteorology when describing snow, clouds, or frost that does not appear perfectly white.

Etymology: hvidligt is formed from the adjective hvid (white) with the suffix -ligt, which creates a word meaning "white-ish" or "like white." It shares similar formation with other Danish -ligt adjectives used to describe qualities.

Grammar and usage: as an attributive descriptor, hvidligt modifies a noun: et hvidligt skær, hvidligt lys. It can also appear predicatively: Lyset var hvidligt. The word signals a gentle, less stark whiteness than pure white.

See also: hvid (white).