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.

Noun

bjørnetjeneste c (singular definite bjørnetjenesten, plural indefinite bjørnetjenester)

1. A well-intentioned disservice.
2. (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

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)

1. a disservice, meant for somebody's good
2. an unintentional ill turn

See also

• bjørnetenest, bjørneteneste (Nynorsk)

References

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