skål

Skål is a word found in Nordic languages with two closely related but distinct senses. As a noun, skål refers to a bowl, cup, or small dish used to serve or hold food and drink. In everyday use, a skål can be ceramic, wooden, or metal and varies in size from a serving vessel to a drinking cup. In addition, skål is the standard term for a toast in many Scandinavian languages; when people raise their glasses and wish someone well, they say “Skål!”

Etymology and cognates trace skål to Old Norse skál, meaning a cup or bowl. The word has cognates across Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, and Icelandic, reflecting a common cultural heritage of shared drinking practices. The toasting sense emerged from the ritual of drinking from a cup together and offering health or good wishes to others.

Usage and cultural context: In Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, and Icelandic, skål can denote both the vessel and the act of toasting, although some languages emphasize one sense more in common speech. The verb skåla (to toast) is used alongside the interjection Skål! during celebrations or communal drinking. While the exact customs vary regionally, the basic idea remains a friendly gesture of goodwill.

Other notes: Beyond everyday language, skål appears in culinary contexts and product names to refer to bowls and serving ware, underscoring its fundamental meaning as a vessel as well as a social custom.