sultne

Sultne is an adjective used in Norwegian and Danish to describe someone or something as hungry or famished. It is the plural form of the base adjective sulten and is used with plural nouns or as a predicate adjective after a linking verb, as in De er sultne (They are hungry).

In practical use, sultne appears in everyday speech and writing when referring to multiple people, animals, or groups experiencing hunger. Examples include sultne barn (hungry children) in Danish and Norwegian, and De var sultne (They were hungry) in Danish. The word can also modify plural nouns in definite or indirect constructions, similar to other descriptive adjectives in these languages.

Etymology and related forms: Sultne derives from the same root that underlies the noun sult (hunger) and the singular form sulten. The term shares common Germanic roots with related words in other Scandinavian languages, reflecting a historical link to hunger as a state or condition.

Usage notes: Sultne expresses a current or recent state of hunger and is not used for habitual appetite. It is typically used with plural subjects; the corresponding singular form is sulten, and the neuter or feminine forms align with standard agreement rules in Norwegian and Danish. In literary or formal writing, the word may appear alongside other descriptors to convey urgency or deprivation.

See also: Hunger, famine, Norwegian language, Danish language, adjectives in Germanic languages.