påpekte

Påpekte is the simple past tense form of the Norwegian verb å påpeke, meaning to point out, indicate, or emphasize a fact or detail. The word is used in both Bokmål and Nynorsk and is common in formal or analytic writing, journalism, and academic language.

Usage and meaning

Å påpeke is a transitive verb that requires an object or a clause specifying what is being pointed out. It is often used to report someone’s observations or corrections. For example, in Bokmål: Han påpekte feilen i rapporten. Læreren påpekte at oppgaven manglet kilder. The construction frequently pairs with a subordinate clause introduced by at, as in han påpekte at hele planen var urealistisk.

Form and grammar

The verb forms include present tense påpeker and past tense påpekte. The past participle is typically påpeket, used in perfect tenses such as har påpeket. The verb can appear in active or passive constructions, for example Feilen ble påpekt in contexts where the emphasis is on the issue being pointed out.

Etymology and related forms

Påpekte derives from the prefixed verb å påpeke, with på- as a directional prefix added to peke, meaning to point. The prefix adds a nuance of bringing attention to something specific, rather than merely pointing physically. The related verb peke, without the prefix, means to point in a physical sense.

See also

Norwegian verbs, Bokmål grammar, Nynorsk usage, prefix verbs.