spørsmåla

Spørsmåla is the definite plural form of the Norwegian noun spørsmål, meaning “the questions.” It is primarily used in Nynorsk to refer to a specific set of questions, such as those in a questionnaire, an examination, or an interview. In Bokmål, the corresponding definite plural form is spørsmålene. Spørsmåla is not a proper noun; it is a common noun used in everyday language when discussing a defined group of inquiries.

Etymology and grammar: Spørsmål derives from the verb spørre, meaning “to ask.” In Norwegian, the definite plural suffix in Nynorsk gives the form spørsmål-a → spørsmåla, indicating “the questions.” The word is standard in written Nynorsk and appears in formal texts where a particular collection of questions is meant.

Usage: Spørsmåla commonly appear in educational, research, and media contexts. They can describe the set of questions in an exam, the items in a survey, or prompts used during an interview. Examples include: Spørsmåla som blei stilt i intervjuet avslørte fleire interessar, eller Forskinga presenterte spørsmåla i spørjeundersøkinga i appendikset.

Notes: Spørsmåla is circumscribed to contexts where a definite group of questions is being referred to; when speaking more generally about questions without specification, the indefinite form spørsmål or the Bokmål formen spørsmål may be used. The term typically appears in Norwegian-language text that adheres to Nynorsk spelling conventions.