kontor

Alternative forms

• Kontor

Etymology

Attested since late 19th century. Learned borrowing from German Kontor and Middle Low German kontôr (“commercial branch; writing room; counting desk/table”), from Middle Dutch contoor, contoir, comptoir, from Middle French contoir, comptoir, from conter, compter (“to count”) + -oir (instrument sufffix). Doublet of cantore, computer, and counter.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈkɒntɔː/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈkɑntɔɹ/
• Homophone: contour (one pronunciation)

Noun

kontor (plural kontors or kontore)

1. (historical) One of the four chief trading posts of the Hanseatic League that enjoyed a great degree of legal autonomy; located in Bruges, London, Bergen and Novgorod.

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle Low German kontōr (“commercial branch; writing room; counting desk”), from Middle Dutch cantoor, cantoor, from Middle French contoir, comptoir, from conter, compter (“to count”) + -oir (instrument suffix), from Latin computāre (“calculate, compute”) and -tōrium.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [kʰɔnˈtˢoɐ̯ˀ], [kʰonˈtˢoɐ̯ˀ]

Noun

kontor n (singular definite kontoret, plural indefinite kontorer)

1. office

Etymology

Akin to Danish kontor, German Kontor, Russian контора (kontora). Regardless of the intermediate, ultimately from Middle Low German kontôr, komtôr, komptor (“commercial branch; writing room; counting desk/table”), from Middle Dutch contoor, contoir, comptoir, from Middle French contoir, comptoir, from conter, compter (“to count”) + -oir (instrument sufffix), from Latin computāre and -tōrium.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkontor/

Noun

kontor (genitive kontori, partitive kontorit)

1. office

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /konˈtɔr/

Verb

kontor

1. future infinitive of kontar

Etymology

From Danish kontor, see above.

Noun

kontor n (definite singular kontoret, indefinite plural kontor or kontorer, definite plural kontora or kontorene)

1. an office

References

• “kontor” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Etymology

Borrowed from Danish kontor either directly or through Norwegian Bokmål kontor, see above.

Noun

kontor n (definite singular kontoret, indefinite plural kontor, definite plural kontora)

1. an office

References

• “kontor” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Etymology

Since late 16th century, borrowed from Middle Low German kontôr, komtôr, komptor (“commercial branch; writing room; counting desk/table”), from Middle Dutch contoor, contoir, comptoir, from Middle French contoir, comptoir, from conter, compter (“to count”) + -oir (instrument suffix).

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

kontor n

1. office; building or room

Further reading

• kontor in Svenska Akademiens ordböcker
• kontor in Elof Hellquist, Svensk etymologisk ordbok (1st ed., 1922)