nood

Nood is a term used in Dutch and several other Germanic languages to denote emergency, distress, or necessity. In Dutch, it is a common noun for pressing needs and emergencies, and it appears in many compounds such as noodsituatie (emergency situation), noodgevallen (emergencies), noodweer (severe weather), and noodzaak (necessity).

In other Germanic languages, cognate forms carry similar meanings. Norwegian and Danish use nød to indicate emergency or distress, and Swedish uses nöd with a similar sense, appearing in compounds such as nödsituation (emergency situation) and nödvändigt (necessary). These forms reflect a shared semantic field across the languages, related to urgent need or danger.

Etymology and cognates: The Dutch noodles nood, and the Scandinavian nøds and nöd, are regarded as cognates across Dutch and the Nordic languages. They derive from a common Germanic root associated with need, distress, or danger. While exact historic derivations vary by language, the core sense remains aligned: an urgent condition that requires attention or action.

Usage and scope: Nood functions across everyday speech, law, public safety, and infrastructure vocabulary. In Dutch, it appears in both broad uses (necessity) and specialized contexts (emergencies, weather alerts). In the Nordic languages, the cognates are similarly tied to emergency planning, safety protocols, and formal declarations of urgent situations.