Skagerrak

English

Etymology

Of Dutch origin from the 17th century. From the 18th century and on, Skagerrak was the official name on maps, whereas Kattegatt was the vulgar name between sailors. In time, Kattegatt came to be the more common name and Skagerrak only meant the outer part of the area, between Skagen and Norway. In the 19th century the names were still used synonymously. Skagerrak comes from the name Skagen and a word meaning “straight stretch” (rak, from Dutch or Low German; in modern Dutch rak is a straight stretch in an otherwise sinuous waterway; in modern sailing the distance to be sailed between two points), so the word means “the straight passage at Skagen”.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈskæɡ.əˌɹæk/, /ˈskɑɡ.əˌɹɑk/

Proper noun

Skagerrak

1. The marine passage between Norway and Denmark, formerly also including the passage between Sweden and Denmark, comprising the Kattegat.

Translations

the Skagerrak

• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: Skagerrak

  Nynorsk: Skagerrak

• Swedish: Skagerrak (sv) n

Further reading

• Skagerrack in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911)

Norwegian Bokmål

Proper noun

Skagerrak

1. a broad strait that separates Norway from Denmark, and which links the North Sea (Nordsjøen) to the Kattegat

Norwegian Nynorsk

Proper noun

Skagerrak

1. a broad strait that separates Norway from Denmark, and which links the North Sea (Nordsjøen) to the Kattegat