massene

Massene is a noun form found in Danish and Norwegian, used in two related senses that depend on context. In sociopolitical and journalistic usage, massene denotes the general public or the masses—the broad, collective group of people as opposed to elites or individuals. This sense is common in political discourse, opinion writing, and discussions of public opinion.

In a more literal, scientific sense, massene can function as the definite plural of masse, the term for mass in physics or engineering. Here it refers to multiple masses or to the masses of different objects under discussion. In scientific writing, masse is typically used in the singular to describe a property of an object, while massene appears when talking about several masses or comparing masses across items.

Etymology and form: The word masse comes from French, ultimately linked to the Latin massa. In Danish and Norwegian, the definite plural is massene, formed by adding the definite plural ending to the indefinite plural masse (masser in the indefinite plural is the common everyday form for multiple masses).

Usage notes: The meaning is usually clear from context, but it is important not to confuse the sociopolitical sense (the public) with the physical concept (mass) in technical writing. The expression en masse—a French loanword used in Scandinavian languages—can also appear to mean “as a group” or “all at once.”

See also: Mass (physics), Masse, En masse.