stadig

Stadig is a word found in Danish and Norwegian that functions as both an adjective and an adverb. It conveys notions of steadiness, continuity, or persistence, roughly translating to “steady” or “constant” when used as an adjective and to “steadily” or “continually” when used as an adverb. The term is native to these North Germanic languages and appears across formal and informal contexts.

In Danish, stadig describes something persistent or ongoing. As an adjective before nouns, it appears in forms such as et stadigt tempo or en stadig udvikling. As an adverb, it means “steadily” and occurs in sentences like han arbejder stadigt. The phrase stadig flere is a common construction meaning “more and more.” Danish speakers also use stadig to emphasize ongoing processes in journalism, literature, and everyday speech.

In Norwegian, stadig has a parallel set of meanings and usages. It appears in phrases such as stadig utvikling or stadig flere mennesker, conveying that a process continues or that a greater number of people are involved over time. The word functions similarly as both adjective and adverb, and it is widely understood in both spoken and written Norwegian.

Notes: stadig may also occur as a surname or appear in place names in Danish-speaking areas, though such uses are unrelated to its grammatical sense as an adjective or adverb. The term remains common in contemporary Danish and Norwegian, spanning casual talk and formal writing.