høy

Høy is a Norwegian adjective meaning "high" or "tall." In Bokmål the form is høy, and in Nynorsk the corresponding form is høg. It is used to describe physical height, elevation, or distance, as well as figurative height such as high prices, high risk, or high expectations. The word can modify a noun directly (attributive) and appears in comparative and superlative forms, for example høyere and høyest in Bokmål (høgare and høgaste in Nynorsk). The adverbial form is høyt, used to describe manner or degree, as in snakket høyt (spoke loudly).

Orthography and usage vary by dialect. Norwegian orthography distinguishes høj/hoy by spelling, with the diacritic ø in both Bokmål and Nynorsk variants. In everyday speech, the pronunciation centers on the ø vowel, a rounded front vowel, often realized as a diphthong in practical speech. The word is common in everyday descriptions, measurements, and many compound expressions.

Etymology and cognates place høy within the broader North Germanic language family. It is cognate with Danish høj and Swedish hög, all sharing a common Germanic origin for the meaning high or tall. The Norwegian forms reflect the language’s standardization across its two official written standards, Bokmål and Nynorsk, which historically aligned with different dialects and spelling reforms.

In other contexts, høy can appear in place names and compound terms to convey elevation or prominence. Its core meaning—height, altitude, or loftiness—remains stable across usages, while morphological forms adapt to grammatical number, gender, and case.