udskiftes

Udskiftes is a Danish verb form meaning to be replaced or swapped; it is the passive present tense of udskifte. It is used in neutral or formal contexts when describing that one thing is undergoing replacement or substitution with another. The construction typically involves a subject that is affected by the replacement, for example objects, parts, or duties.

Historically, the term udskiftningen (the Great Enclosure) is the name given to a major Danish agrarian reform carried out in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The reform reorganized the country’s old open-field system, replacing strip-based and shared land with consolidated, clearly bounded farms. The goal was to increase agricultural efficiency, secure tenure for farmers, and improve land use by creating parcels that could be more easily cultivated and taxed. The process was implemented over several decades, beginning in the 1780s and continuing into the 1830s, with variations across regions. It reshaped rural settlement patterns, reduced the dependence on common lands, and laid the groundwork for modern Danish agriculture.

Contemporary usage of udskiftes remains common in everyday Danish to indicate replacement of parts, equipment, or personnel. Related forms include the noun udskiftning (the act of replacement) and udskiftningen, which may refer to the historical reform or to generic processes of substitution.

See also: udskiftning, udskiftningen.