påfør

Påfør is the imperative form of the Norwegian verb å påføre, meaning to apply or to bring onto. The verb has two main senses: to apply something to a surface or object (for example cream, paint or glue), and to inflict or cause something to occur to someone or something (for example skade eller smerte). In everyday use, påføre often appears in contexts such as medicine, cosmetics, painting, and agriculture, as well as in phrases describing the act of causing effects.

Etymology and forms: å påføre is built from på- (on, upon) and føre (to lead, to bring). The verb forms include infinitive å påføre, present påfører, past tense påførte, past participle påført, and the imperative Påfør. The noun form påføring refers to the act of applying or the process of applying something.

Usage notes: Common collocations involve substances applied to a surface, such as krem, salve, maling or medisiner. For example, legen påførte medisinen, eller maleren påførte et lag maling. The phrase å påføre smerte or skade is used to describe inflicting harm. In many contexts, simpler synonyms exist for specific objects, such as å smøre for krem eller å sette på for klær, but påføre remains the standard verb for applying something to an external surface or for causing an effect.

See also: related concepts include å smøre (to spread or apply a substance smoothly), å sette på (to put on or install), and å pålegge (to impose, which has a different meaning).