läänes

Lånes is a verb form found in several Scandinavian languages that means that something is being lent or is loaned to someone. It is the present tense passive of the verb låne, used to describe a state in which an item is available to another party through lending. The form is common in Norwegian Bokmål and is also recognizable in Swedish and Danish, where the corresponding passive forms are lånas (Swedish) and lånes ud (Danish).

In practice, lånes is frequently used in contexts related to libraries, schools, institutions, and households, where items such as books, media, or equipment are lent out. Example in Bokmål: Denne bok lånes ut av biblioteket. This translates to “This book is lent out by the library.” In Swedish, a comparable sentence is Den här boken lånas ut av biblioteket. In Danish: Denne bog lånes ud af biblioteket. In nynorsk, the equivalent passive form is typically lånast rather than lånes.

Etymology and cognates: lånes derives from låne, meaning “to lend” or “to loan,” with roots in the Old Norse word lán. The concept and the corresponding passive form are widespread across Germanic languages, reflecting the shared linguistic heritage.

Grammar and usage notes: lånes is a finite verb in present tense and passive voice. The active counterpart is låner (“lends”). The past participle of låne is lånt, used in other tenses and constructions. The form may appear with particles such as ut (out) or bort (away) to specify the direction of lending.