värdi

Værdi is a Danish noun meaning value, worth, price, or numerical value. It is used in everyday language and in technical contexts to express how much something is considered to be worth or what a measurement yields. The plural form is typically værdier.

Etymology and cognates

The word traces to Old Norse verð and is cognate with the Norwegian verdi and Swedish värde. Across the Scandinavian languages, værdi and its relatives express a shared idea of price, worth, or significance. In Danish, related compounds such as markedsværdi (market value) or kulturel værdi (cultural value) are common.

Uses and senses

In economics and business, værdi denotes monetary or market value, including intrinsic value or value created through processes like innovation or productivity. In ethics and aesthetics, value refers to the importance or worth of actions, objects, or states of affairs, including discussions of intrinsic versus instrumental value. The Danish term for values as beliefs or standards is usually værdier, used to describe value systems, guiding principles, or moral norms. In mathematics and measurement, værdi denotes the numerical value of a quantity or expression, such as the value of a function at a given input or the measured value of a variable.

Context and nuance

Værdi is a foundational concept across disciplines, with distinctions between monetary value, subjective worth, and intrinsic importance. The word remains central in discussions of valuation, appraisal, and decision-making in Danish-speaking contexts.