tidens

Tidens is a linguistic term found in Danish and Norwegian, functioning as the genitive form of the noun tid, meaning time. In these languages, tid denotes time in a broad sense, from moments to eras. The definite form of tid is tiden (the time), and the genitive, formed with the possessive -s, yields tidens, which translates roughly to “the time’s” or “of the time.” This genitive construction is commonly used in fixed phrases and idiomatic expressions.

Etymology and forms

Tid derives from Old Norse tími and belongs to the Germanic family of words for time. The modern Danish and Norwegian words retain the core meaning, while tidens is a grammatical tool to indicate possession or association with time when the noun phrase is in the form of the definite, genitive construction. For example, tidens gang means the course of time, and tidens tegn means the signs of the times.

Usage

Tidens appears primarily in formal, literary, or idiomatic contexts rather than in everyday casual speech. It is regularly used in well-known phrases such as tidens gang (the passage of time) and tidens tegn (the signs of the times). In these expressions, tidens functions as the genitive modifier that links the noun time to a broader concept or period. While it can appear in headlines, essays, and historical writing, its use tends to be symbolic or descriptive, emphasizing temporal change or cultural moments.

See also

Tid, tids, genitive in Danish and Norwegian.