værende

Værende is a Norwegian word meaning present or current. It is the present participle of the verb være (to be) and functions as an adjective or participial modifier describing something that exists in the current state or someone who currently holds a position. In Norwegian, værende is used before a noun to indicate the current status of that noun, and it appears most often in formal, official, or historical writing. In everyday speech, nåværende is more common for “current,” but værende remains visible in legal documents, government communications, and prose with a formal tone.

Etymology and form: Værende derives from the verb være with the participial suffix -ende. It has cognates in other Scandinavian languages and is used as a descriptive modifier in a similar way to present participles in those languages.

Usage and nuance: The term is typically paired with nouns like regjering, president, styre, or praksis to express the idea of the current or present state. It is frequently found in contexts that emphasize status as of the present moment, such as “værende regjering” or “værende praksis.” It contrasts with tidligere, which means previous or former, and with nåværende, which is another common synonym for current in many contexts. In practice, valgt usage can vary by register, with værende tending toward a more formal or legal tone.

Translations: In English, værende is usually rendered as “present” or “current.” The choice between værende and nåværende in Norwegian can reflect stylistic preference or formal requirement rather than a strict difference in meaning.