spanske

Spanske is an inflected form of the adjective meaning "Spanish" used in several Scandinavian languages to describe things related to Spain or the Spanish language. In Danish and Norwegian Bokmål, spanske is the indefinite plural form of the adjective, while the singular form is spansk. The corresponding form in Swedish is spanska, used for plural nouns, with a different set of endings for other grammatical cases.

In Danish and Norwegian, adjectives agree with number and definiteness. For example, spanske biler means "Spanish cars" in the plural indefinite sense, while de spanske bilene means "the Spanish cars" in the definite plural. In the singular, en spansk bil means "a Spanish car," and den spanske bilen means "the Spanish car." These patterns illustrate how spanske functions as a plural modifier for nouns denoting origin or language.

Etymology of the related term traces back to Latin Hispānus, through medieval Romance languages such as Old French espagnol, and into the modern Scandinavian adjectives spansk/spanske. The form spanske is closely related to other Germanic and Romance cognates that express nationality or linguistic origin.

Usage notes: spanske primarily serves as an attributive adjective before nouns. It does not stand alone as a noun. The exact spelling and endings differ by language and dialect, so the corresponding form for Swedish is spanska, not spanske, though the meaning is parallel. In all cases, the term denotes Spanish origin, nationality, or the Spanish language when used in combination with a noun.