sjø

See also: sjo, sjó, sjö, and sjö.

Norwegian Bokmål

Norwegian Wikipedia has an article on:

sjø

Etymology

From Old Norse sjór, from Proto-Germanic *saiwiz. The form to some extent continues the older Danish spelling siø (sjø), which had become obsolete (as against sø) by 1800. In Norway it was preserved and/or revived under influence of native dialects. This is already a development of the 19th century (thus before the creation of Bokmål proper).

Noun

sjø m (definite singular sjøen, indefinite plural sjøer, definite plural sjøene)

lake
Synonym: innsjø
sea, ocean; especially (though not exclusively) coastal waters
Synonym: (especially open sea) hav

Derived terms

References

“sjø” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology 1

From Old Norse sjór, sjár, sær, from Proto-Germanic *saiwiz. Akin to English sea.

Alternative forms

sjo
sjå, sæ (in placenames)

Dialectal forms

sy (Helgeland)
sjy (Øysterdal)
sø (Trøndelag) (Måråkmål)

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ʃøː/, /sjøː/

Noun

sjø m (definite singular sjøen, indefinite plural sjøar, definite plural sjøane) (genitive form sjøs)

a sea, ocean
a lake
Synonym: innsjø

Synonyms

(ocean): hav, mar-

Derived terms

References

“sjø” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Etymology 2

Contraction of ser du? (“do you see?”) or skjønner du (“y'know”)

Interjection

sjø

(dialectal, Trøndelag) Used as a rhetorical question to confirm agreement or understanding at the end of a statement.
Æ veit ikkj, sjø. ― I don’t know.

Ho kainn det sjø, men no e ho klar som faen. ― She can it, y'know, but now she is exhausted as hell.

Det va itj mæ, sjø. ― It wasn't me, y'know.