svær

• IPA^(key): /svɛːˀr/, , ,
• Homophone: sværd

From Old Norse svǫrðr m, from Proto-Germanic *swarduz (“rind, turf”), cognate with Norwegian Bokmål svor, Swedish svål, English sward. The Danish form has the vowel of the plural (sverðir).

svær c (singular definite sværen, plural indefinite svær)

1. rind
2. crackling

• flæskesvær
• grønsvær

From Old Danish swar, from Old Norse svárr, from Proto-Germanic *swēraz, cognate with Swedish svår, German schwer, Dutch zwaar, Gothic 𐍃𐍅𐌴𐍂𐍃 (swērs). The vowel of the modern Danish form is probably due to German influence. Doublet of svar.

svær (neuter svært, plural and definite singular attributive svære)

1. difficult, hard, stiff, tough
2. (now rare) heavy, massive, solid
3. severe
4. portly, stout

Perhaps from a side form to Old Norse svárr (“hard, heavy”)

svær (masculine and feminine svær, neuter svært, definite singular and plural svære)

1. heavy, massive, huge, large, tremendous

• “svær” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
• “svær_1” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB).

Perhaps from a side form to Old Norse svárr (“hard, heavy”), or from Middle Low German schwer.

• IPA^(key): /ʂʋæːr/

svær (neuter svært, definite singular and plural svære, comparative sværare, indefinite superlative sværast, definite superlative sværaste)

1. big, massive; huge

   Dyret var svært.

   The animal was massive.

2. unusual

   Det var då svært so lang tid dette skulle ta.

   This took unusually long.

• svært

• “svær” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.