usedvanlig

Usedvanlig is an ASCII variant of the Norwegian adjective usædvanlig, meaning unusual or extraordinary. It appears mainly in informal writing or older texts where the letter æ is not easily typed. In modern standard Norwegian, usædvanlig is the preferred form, with usædvanlig being common in Bokmål and Nynorsk alike. A less common synonym is uvanlig, which also means not typical but is usually weaker in emphasis.

Etymology and variants: the term derives from vanlig (usual) with a negating prefix, historically related to sedvanlig (customary). The nonstandard spelling usedvanlig arises from replacing æ with e in ASCII-only contexts. While usædvanlig is the normative form, usedvanlig persists in digital text and dialectal writing where æ is difficult to render.

Usage: usedvanlig is typically found in informal contexts, personal writing, or historical documents. In contemporary formal writing, usædvanlig is preferred, especially in newspapers, academic texts, and official prose. The meaning is close to “unusually” when used as an adverb, or “unusual” as an adjective, as in contexts highlighting rarity, exception, or surprise.

Examples:

- Det var usedvanlig mye regn i sommer. (There was unusually much rain this summer.)

- Dette er usedvanlig bra arbeid. (This is unusually good work.)

- Hun opplevde et usædvanlig tilfelle. (She experienced an unusual/extraordinary case.)

See also: usædvanlig, uvanlig. Note that usedvanlig is mainly a workaround spelling rather than a standard form, and it may be considered informal or outdated in polished Norwegian.