sejladsen

Sejladsen is a Danish noun in the definite form meaning the act or process of sailing, or a sailing voyage. It is formed from the noun sejlads (sailing or voyage) plus the definite article suffix -en. In modern Danish, the everyday word for sailing activity is sejlads; sejladsen is then used mainly in historical, legal, or literary contexts to refer to a particular voyage, a period of sailing, or the navigation rights tied to a specific time or place.

Etymology and forms: The term derives from the verb sejle (to sail) and the noun formation sejlads. It is cognate with Norwegian seilas and Swedish sejlads, sharing the same semantic field.

Usage: Because Danish syntax uses definite forms, sejladsen is used when the speaker intends to specify "the sailing" as a known, definite phenomenon. In everyday speech, it is less common; in archives or historical narratives, it can appear to denote a named voyage or a set of sailing operations.

Relation to maritime history: Denmark's geography with a long coastline and many islands has made sejlads and related terms central to commerce, defense, and exploration. As a linguistic form, sejladsen reflects how Danish language marks specificity in maritime discourse.

Note: If used as a proper noun, Sejladsen would generally be treated as a surname or place name; however, there is no widely recognized contemporary use.