tidleg

Tidleg is the Norwegian word meaning "early," used as an adjective and adverb in Nynorsk. It describes timing and is used for events or periods that occur before the usual or expected time. Common constructions include tidleg om morgonen (early in the morning) and tidleg i sesongen (early in the season). As the standard Nynorsk form, tidleg contrasts with Bokmål's tidlig, which serves the same semantic role in that standard.

Etymology and cognates: Tidleg derives from Old Norse tíðligr, formed from tíð "time" with a suffix -ligr(-lig) meaning "having the quality of" or "pertaining to." The word is cognate with Danish tidlig and Swedish tidlig; all share the same Proto-Germanic roots for time. In modern Norwegian, tidleg is mainly used in Nynorsk; Bokmål generally uses tidlig.

Usage in writing and standardization: Tidleg is common in formal and informal Nynorsk writing, including government communications, education, journalism, and literature. Some regional dialects may exhibit slight pronunciation differences, but the spelling tidleg remains the standard form in Nynorsk.