levende

Levende is an adjective used in Danish and Norwegian (and in related Germanic languages) meaning alive or living. It functions as a predicative and attributive descriptor, describing those who exist or are in operation, as well as living beings and processes that are ongoing. Examples include phrases like a levende væsen (a living being) or levende organismer (living organisms). The term is commonly used across contexts from everyday language to science, medicine, and culture to distinguish states of life from death.

Etymology and cognates: levende derives from the verb to live in the respective languages, with cognates appearing in other Germanic tongues. In Swedish, a closely related form is levande, while Dutch uses levende with similar meaning. In Icelandic, the equivalent term is lifandi, reflecting the shared Indo-European roots for life and living. The general contrast in all these languages is often drawn between alive (levende/levande) and dead (død/död).

Usage notes: In medical, legal, and statistical contexts, the concept of living versus non-living is common, including discussions of living patients, living births, and living organisms. In literature and philosophy, levende is frequently employed to evoke vitality, presence, and existence. The word may appear in compound forms and parameterized phrases that emphasize life or vitality, such as descriptions of living culture, living beings, or living processes.

See also: life, death, alive, living, terminology in Germanic languages, cognate terms in Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Dutch, and Icelandic.