See also: frøken

Old Swedish edit

Alternative forms edit

Etymology edit

From Middle Low German vröuken, vrouwicken, diminutive of vrûwe, vrouwe (woman, lady), from Old Saxon frūa, from Proto-Germanic *frawjǭ.

Noun edit

fröken

  1. (about or title of) unmarried princess
    • 1502 April 14, Carl Gustaf Styffe, “Sten Sture till Svante Nilsson, om krigarustningar och krigs- händelser, dat. Thorshälla d. 14 April 1502.”, in Bidrag till Skandinaviens historia ur utländska arkiver[1], volumes Fjerde delen. Sverige i Sten Sture den yngres tid 1470-1503, published 1875, page 312:
      [] och hade for visse och sanne tidendhe, ath kongen han foldhe sin dotther frögdeken in i lanter (!) Holsteten (!) och ther bliffwer han qwar, []
      [] and had for certain and true news, that the king he followed his daughter the princess into the country (!) Holstein (!) and there he remained, []

Descendants edit

  • Swedish: fröken

References edit

Swedish edit

Etymology edit

Inherited from Old Swedish fröken, from Middle Low German vröuken, vrouwicken, diminutive of vrûwe, vrouwe (woman, lady), from Old Saxon frūa, from Proto-West Germanic *frauwjā.

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

fröken c

  1. (dated) Miss ((title for an) unmarried woman)
    Vill fröken ha kaffe?
    Would you like some coffee, Miss?
    Fröken Andersson kom och hälsade på
    Miss Andersson came to visit
  2. (somewhat dated) a female teacher or pedagogue, Miss (in kindergarten or elementary school – especially when referred to or addressed by the children)
    Synonyms: (elementary school) skolfröken, (kindergarten) dagisfröken, lärarinna, lärare, pedagog
    Fröken! Jag behöver hjälp.
    Teacher! I need help.
    Våran fröken är jättesnäll!
    Our teacher is super nice!
  3. (somewhat dated) Miss (as a term of address for a woman in certain functions, for example a waitress)
    Ursäkta fröken, skulle vi kunna få notan, tack?
    Excuse me Miss, could we have the bill, please?
  4. (by extension) a young girl, a miss
    Hon är en envis liten fröken
    She is a stubborn little miss
  5. (obsolete) an unmarried princess

Usage notes edit

  • Still fairly common in (sense 2) among children, perhaps varying from (pre)school to (pre)school. Occasionally extended to male teachers or pedagogues (by children).
  • Definite singular colloquially also fröknen/fröknens.
  • After the you-reform of the 1960s and '70s, addressing by first name is seen as more appropriate in Sweden, except under the most formal of circumstances, like when addressing royalty.

Declension edit

Declension of fröken 
Singular Plural
Indefinite Definite Indefinite Definite
Nominative fröken fröken fröknar fröknarna
Genitive frökens frökens fröknars fröknarnas

Derived terms edit

See also edit

References edit