tidig

Tidig is a North Germanic adjective used in Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish to mean early or occurring before the usual or expected time. It describes times, events, or stages of development and is used in both literal and figurative senses, such as early morning, early development, or early decisions.

Etymology: The word derives from the noun tid, time, with the adjectival suffix -ig. It is cognate across the Scandinavian languages and has appeared in written forms since medieval times.

Usage: In all three languages, tidig functions as an adjective that can modify a noun, for example in phrases like "tidig morgen" (early morning) or "tidlige planer" (early plans). The exact adverbial forms and inflection differ by language, and the term is often contrasted with late equivalents. In medical or developmental contexts, tidig can describe events or processes that occur earlier than usual or expected.

Translations and related terms: The primary English equivalent is early. Related contrasts include late or late onset. The term is closely related to general notions of timing, scheduling, and developmental milestones within Nordic linguistic contexts.

See also: Early, late, onset, development.