skade

Skade is a term used in Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish with meanings related to harm, injury, or damage to persons or property. In Danish and Norwegian, skade can refer to physical injury as well as material damage, and it can function as a noun or, in some contexts, as a verb meaning to injure or damage. In Swedish, the cognate skada covers similar senses of injury and damage. The word is common across medical, legal, and everyday language.

Etymology and range of meaning: Skade derives from Old Norse skaði, related to the broader Germanic root for harm. Over time, the concept expanded to cover both injuries sustained by people and damage to objects or interests. Its use spans various domains, including health, property, and liability, where distinctions are made between different types of harm, such as personal injury, property damage, or consequential damages.

Usage and compounds: In practice, skade appears in a wide array of compound terms. Examples include personskade (personal injury), skadeerstatning or erstatning for skade (compensation for damages), and materiel skade or material skade (material/property damage). The word is also used in insurance, law, and safety contexts, where precise categorization of harm informs claims, liability, and preventive measures. In everyday language, it may describe incidents ranging from minor injuries to significant structural damage after events like accidents or storms. While the core idea remains harm, the term adapts to different levels of severity and legal implications.