ørten

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

Unknown. -ten suffix analysed from the numbers 13 through 19, all ending in -ten.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈør.ten/, [²(ʔ)œ.ʈ‿ən], [²(ʔ)œ.ʈ‿ɳ̩]

Numeral

ørten

1. zillion; an unspecified large number

   Det er ørten ølflasker på rommet hans

   There are a zillion beer bottles in his room

   • 2016, Fiona Barton, Enken, Cappelen Damm:

     Jeg ante ikke engang at jeg gjorde det - må vel ha gjort det ørten ganger uten å tenke meg om, men det gjentok seg aldri.

     I didn't even know I was doing it - must have done it a zillion times without thinking about it, but it never happened again.

Usage notes

Usually compounded with other numbers or suffixes for emphasis; ørtenvis, ørtentusen

Synonyms

• fantasillion

Derived terms

• ørtende (“zillionth”)

References

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