bjørnetjeneste
Danish
Etymology
bjørn (“bear”) + tjeneste (“service”), with reference to The Bear and the Gardener, in which a bear inadvertently kills his friend when trying to keep away flies.
The second sense is attested since 1992, and might be an allusion to the size and (perceived kind) disposition of a bear.[1]
Noun
bjørnetjeneste c (singular definite bjørnetjenesten, plural indefinite bjørnetjenester)
- A well-intentioned disservice.
- (proscribed, rare) A very great service.
Declension
Declension of bjørnetjeneste
| common gender | Singular | Plural | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| indefinite | definite | indefinite | definite | |
| nominative | bjørnetjeneste | bjørnetjenesten | bjørnetjenester | bjørnetjenesterne |
| genitive | bjørnetjenestes | bjørnetjenestens | bjørnetjenesters | bjørnetjenesternes |
References
- http://dsn.dk/nyt/nyt-fra-sprognaevnet/2006-4.pdf
- 2. “bjørnetjeneste” in Den Danske Ordbog
Norwegian Bokmål
Etymology
From bjørn + -e- + tjeneste, after a French fable; compare with German Bärendienst.
Noun
bjørnetjeneste m (definite singular bjørnetjenesten, indefinite plural bjørnetjenester, definite plural bjørnetjenestene)
- a disservice, meant for somebody's good
- an unintentional ill turn
See also
- bjørnetenest, bjørneteneste (Nynorsk)
References
- “bjørnetjeneste” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
- “bjørnetjeneste” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB).