vekker

Vekker is a Norwegian word that can function as both a verb and a noun. As a verb, vekke means to wake someone up. As a noun, vekker can refer to a person who wakes others, though this use is rare and mostly historical. More commonly, vekker is used to refer to an alarm device that wakes a person, especially the vekkerklokke, or alarm clock.

Etymology: The word comes from the verb vekke, from Old Norse vekkja or vekja, meaning to wake or awaken. The suffix -er forms an agent noun, so vekker denotes an entity that causes waking rather than the action itself.

Usage: In everyday Norwegian, vekker is most often a shorthand for vekkerklokke. People say, for example, Jeg stiller vekkerklokken til klokken seks (I set the alarm clock for six). The expression å sette vekkerklokken is common; å slå av vekkerklokken means to turn off the alarm clock.

Variants and related terms: The standard compound for an alarm clock in Norwegian is vekkerklokke. In related Scandinavian languages, comparable terms exist, such as Swedish väckarklocka and Danish vækkeur. The concept is widely understood across the region, with the alarm device being the most typical referent for vekker.

See also: Alarm clock, Wakefulness, Norwegian language.