uvanlige

Uvanlige is a Norwegian adjective meaning not common, unusual, or out of the ordinary. It describes things that depart from what is typical or expected. The form uvanlige is used for plural nouns; the singular form is uvanlig, as in en uvanlig hendelse or et uvanlig værforhold. The term appears in both everyday speech and formal writing and often signals surprise or peculiarity rather than mere rarity.

Origin and dialects: Uvanlige is formed from vanlig (common) with the negating prefix u-, a common pattern in Norwegian. Cognates exist in neighboring languages: Swedish ovanlig and Danish uvanlig. In Bokmål the standard forms are uvanlig and uvanlige; in Nynorsk the corresponding forms are uvanleg and uvanlege. Dialectal variants may alter endings, but the meaning remains the same.

Usage notes and examples: Use uvanlig for things that are unusual in a given context, not merely statistically rare. It often pairs with adjectives or nouns denoting instances, situations, or behavior. Examples: Det var en uvanlig hendelse. Værforholdene var uvanlige. Han hadde en uvanlig evne. Denne situasjonen er uvanlig.

Related terms and nuance: Synonyms include sjelden, utypisk, og ekstraordinær, with subtle differences in nuance. In translation to English, uvanlig most often corresponds to unusual or uncommon, while ekstraordinær is stronger and implies something remarkable. The word is commonly used in journalism, science, and cultural commentary to flag deviations from the norm.