samtid

Samtid is a Norwegian noun meaning the present time or the contemporary period. In everyday language, speakers usually refer to nå for the exact moment, while samtiden designates the broader era of current social and cultural life. The word is commonly used in academic and cultural contexts to distinguish phenomena that belong to the present era from those of the past or speculative futures.

It's formed from sam- and tid (time) and serves as the basis for compound terms such as samtidskunst (contemporary art), samtidslitteratur (contemporary literature), samtidsmusikk (contemporary music), and samtidsforskning (contemporary studies). The related adjective samtidig means simultaneous, which is a different sense, related etymologically but distinct in usage.

In discourse, samtid emphasizes the characteristics, values, and dynamics of the current era, including globalization, digitalization, and rapid social change. It is often used in analysis of culture, politics, and society to frame what is happening now rather than historically.

Cultural institutions and media frequently label programs or exhibitions as samtids- to signal their relevance to the present. The term may vary in nuance across dialects and languages in the Scandinavian region.