spørring

Spørring is a Norwegian noun with several closely related senses. In general use it denotes the act of asking questions or making inquiries, as well as the question itself in more formal or technical contexts. In information technology and data handling, spørring is commonly used to mean a request to retrieve data from a database or information system, i.e., a query.

Etymology and range of meaning. The word is built from the verb spørre, meaning to ask, with the nominal suffix -ing. It is closely related to or sometimes interchangeable with spøksmål or spørsmål, but spørring tends to appear in more formal, technical, or legal contexts. The sense referring to an inquiry or examination is often found in official or investigative language, whereas everyday speech more frequently uses spørsmål or spørsmål.

Usage and contexts. In everyday Norwegian, spørsmål is the standard term for a question posed in ordinary dialogue. Spørring appears in more formal prose, in legal or investigative writings, and in technical domains. In journalism, research, and surveys, spørring can describe the act of collecting responses, analogous to a poll or questionnaire. In law enforcement or parliamentary contexts, spørring may describe a line of questioning or a formal interrogation, though avhør or kynningsverk is also common depending on jurisdiction and tone.

Computing usage. In information technology, spørring is the process of requesting data from a database or service. Common collocations include SQL-spørring (SQL query), database-spørring, and spørringsspråk (query language). The term is widely understood among Norwegian IT professionals as a direct translation of “query.”

See also: spørsmål, forespørsel, SQL-spørring, spørringsspråk.