jødiske

Jødiske is a Norwegian adjective meaning related to Judaism or to Jewish people, culture, religion, or heritage. It is used to describe things connected with Jews or Jewish life, for example jødiske tradisjoner (Jewish traditions), jødiske samfunn (Jewish communities), or jødiske dager in religious contexts. As a rule, it forms the attributive adjective from the noun jøde (Jew). The corresponding noun forms are jøde for a person and jøder for plural.

Etymology and cognates: The Norwegian jøde is cognate with Danish jøde and Swedish jude, and they all derive from the older Germanic forms of the word for a Jew. The ultimate root traces to Latin Iudaeus and Greek Ioudaios, which in turn come from Hebrew Yehudi, meaning “from the tribe of Judah.” The adjective jødiske follows common Scandinavian patterns for adjectival forms in attributive use.

Usage and nuance: In neutral, descriptive writing, jødiske is standard for indicating connection to Judaism or Jewish life. It can describe religion (jødiske trosretninger), culture (jødiske tradisjoner), or communities (jødiske samfunn). It is important to separate religious, ethnic, and cultural dimensions, as many Jews identify with multiple facets. As with other identity terms, tone and context matter; the term itself is not inherently pejorative but can be misused in discriminatory or stereotypical rhetoric.

See also: Jewish people, Judaism, Scandinavian language terms for Jew.