negativer

Negativer is a term that appears in several Germanic languages and is not standard in English. In Danish and Norwegian, negativer is the plural noun form of negativ, meaning “negative” or “negatives.” It is used to refer to negative items in a set, such as photographic negatives or negative results in testing or analysis. The form can also occur as part of phrases describing multiple negative values or outcomes.

In photography, a negative is the image produced on film or another medium in which light and dark areas are inverted relative to the final positive print. Negatives are used to create prints by projecting light through the negative onto photosensitive paper, or by digital processes that invert the exposure to produce a positive image.

In mathematics and science, negatives refer to numbers less than zero or to negative quantities and results. When discussed in Scandinavian languages, negativer may appear in lists or descriptions of multiple negative values, whereas English-language texts would typically use “negatives.”

Etymology: The terms derive from the Latin negativus via French négatif and various Germanic-language adaptations, with language-specific spellings and inflections shaping the form negativer in Danish and Norwegian.