löfte

Løfte is a word found in Danish and Norwegian that serves as both a verb and a noun, with related meanings in everyday use. As a verb, it means to lift or raise something, for example lifting an object or raising one’s arm. As a noun, it denotes a promise or pledge, a commitment given by someone to do or refrain from something in the future.

Etymology and related forms

Løfte derives from older Germanic roots linked to lifting and raising, and in the noun form it has come to signify a pledged commitment. In common usage, the noun takes the definite form løftet (the promise), used in phrases such as holde løftet (to keep the promise). The verb forms vary by tense and person, with løfte as the infinitive and løfter as the present tense in many Norwegian and Danish varieties.

Usage and examples

In Danish and Norwegian, the word is versatile across contexts. Løfte as a verb appears in sentences such as man kan løfte boksen (one can lift the box). As a noun, et løfte expresses a promise, and phrases like et lovet løfte emphasize an assured commitment. The phrase holde løftet is a common way to refer to honoring a promise.

Cultural and linguistic notes

The dual meaning of løfte—physical lifting and abstract commitment—reflects broader Germanic wordplay where similar terms link action and oath. In everyday speech, context usually makes the intended sense clear, though the written form is identical across meanings.

See also

Promissory language in Scandinavian languages; related cognates in neighboring Germanic languages.