nadelig

Nadelig is an adjective used in Danish, Norwegian, and Dutch to describe something that is harmful, disadvantageous, or unfavourable. It is typically found in formal, legal, economic, or policy-related language, where it characterizes effects, conditions, or decisions that are detrimental to someone or something.

Etymology and range of meaning: The word is of Germanic origin and is cognate with analogous terms in related languages, such as Dutch nadeel (disadvantage) and German nachteil (disadvantage). The adjective form nadelig assigns the quality of being harmful or disadvantageous to a noun, and it often appears in phrases that discuss consequences, outcomes, or impacts that are negative for a party involved.

Usage in Dutch, Norwegian, and Danish: In Dutch, nadelig commonly collocates with nouns describing economic or legal consequences, for example: “Een nadelige rente kan de belegger benadelen,” or “het nadelige effect van de regeling.” In Norwegian, you might encounter phrases like “nadelig virkning” or “nadelig forbruker,” indicating adverse effects or unfavorable conditions. In Danish, similar usage appears in contexts such as “en nadelig effekt på likviditeten” or “en nadelig konsekvens for virksomhederne.”

Related terms: Nadelig is related to, yet distinct from, synonyms such as skadelig (harmful) and uheldig (unlucky, unfavorable). It is best reserved for contexts where there is a clear, negative impact or disadvantage resulting from a policy, decision, or circumstance.

See also: nadeel, skadelig, uheldig, konkurrenceforhold.