aften

From Old Danish aftæn, from Old Norse aptann, from Proto-Germanic *aftanaz, *aftunaz. Cognate with Swedish afton and Norwegian Nynorsk aftan. The West Germanic forms English even, Dutch avond, and German Abend go back to a different form: *ēbanþs. The relation between the two forms is unclear.

• IPA^(key): /ˈaftən/, /ˈɑftən/, [ˈɑ̈fd̥n̩]

aften c (singular definite aftenen or aftnen, plural indefinite aftener or aftner)

1. evening
2. night (evening)

• kvæld

• morgen

• Norwegian Bokmål: aften

• “aften” in Den Danske Ordbog

• Audio:

  (file)

aften

1. plural of aft

• IPA^(key): /ˈaftn̩/, /ˈaftən/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aftn̩, -ən
• Hyphenation: af‧ten

From Danish aften (“evening; night”), from Old Danish aftæn, from Old Norse aptann (“evening”), from Proto-Germanic *ēbanþs (“evening”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁epi (“on, at, near”), of *h₁eps, of *h₁ep-.

Cognate with Danish aften, Swedish afton, Faroese aftan and Icelandic aftann.

aften m (definite singular aftenen, indefinite plural aftener, definite plural aftenene)

1. night; an evening (the time of the day between dusk and night, when it gets dark)
   • 1890, Henrik Ibsen, Hedda Gabler, page 235:

     så kommer jeg op om aftnerne

     then I get up in the evenings

   • 1877, Henrik Ibsen, Samfundets støtter, page 180:

     jeg har tænkt meget i den sidste tid … og mest i denne aften

     I've been thinking a lot lately… and mostly this evening

   • 1873, Henrik Ibsen, Kejser og Galilæer, page 378:

     ofrer han ikke både morgen og aften …?

     does he not sacrifice both morning and evening…?

   • 1885, Henrik Ibsen, Brand, page 118:

     langs fjorden stryger aftnens vind

     along the fjord the evening wind blows

   • 1879, Henrik Ibsen, Et dukkehjem, page 127:

     han kommer hjem imorgen aften

     he's coming home tomorrow night

   • 1926, Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, Samlede Digte I, page 136:

     aftnen er stille, timerne trille lydløse ned i det evige væld

     the evening is quiet, the hours roll silently into the eternal power

   • 2012 December 12, Dagsavisen‎^{[dagsavisen.no]}:

     angret du litt på at du boikottet utdelingen når du så hvor gøy de hadde det på banketten i går aften?

     did you regret a bit that you boycotted the distribution when you saw how much fun they had at the banquet last night?

   • 2013 October 12, Vesteraalens avis‎^{[vesteraalensavis.no]}:

     allerede samme aften meldte det seg 14 deltakere som i de to følgende dager fullførte kurset

     already the same evening, 14 participants signed up who completed the course in the following two days

   • 1899, Henrik Ibsen, Når vi døde vågner, page 86:

     vi ta’r afsted allerede iaften

     we're leaving tonight

   • 1874, Henrik Ibsen, De unges forbund, page 30:

     god nat … og mange tak for iaften

     good night … and many thanks for tonight

   • 1910, Hans E. Kinck, Den sidste gjest, page 218:

     I har jo ikke eiet egen stemme førend iaften

     You have not owned your own voice until tonight

   • 2014 October 17, Ringerikes Blad, page 9:

     Nes Ungdomslag arrangerer høstrevy på nes Bygdehus i aften

     Nes Ungdomslag arranges an autumn revue at Nes Bygdehus tonight

   • 1911, Sigrid Undset, Jenny, page 57:

     Ahlin kjøpte et lass [blomster] til mig borte ved den spanske trappe iaftes

     Ahlin bought me a load [of flowers] over by the Spanish steps this night

   • 1874, Henrik Ibsen, Peer Gynt, page 176:

     den absolute fornuft afgik ved døden iaftes klokken 11

     absolute reason departed at death tonight at 11 o'clock

   • 2012 December 15, Fædrelandsvennen, page 13:

     [NN] har samlet krefter og akter å holde ut både på Klubben i aftes, og i formannsvervet til årsmøtet i februar

     [NN] has gathered strength and intentions to persevere both at the Club this evening, and in the chairmanship of the annual meeting in February

   • 1855, Henrik Wergeland, Samlede Skrifter VI, page 144:

     vor vært fra igaaraftes

     our host from last night

   • 2010 May 28, Morgenbladet, page 44:

     det var sikkert tusen tilskuere på Ullevål igåraftes

     there were probably a thousand spectators at Ullevål last night

   • 2012 November 2, Nationen, page 8:

     brannen [brøt ut] klokken ni i går aftes

     the fire [broke out] at nine o'clock last night

   • 15.11.2014, Johan Sebastian Welhaven, Samlede Digterverker III, page 13:

     ak, hvor sødt at følges ad, til paa fagre dages rad livets aften skinner!

     alas, how sweet to be followed, to on a row of days beautiful final days of life shine!

   • 2014 November 15, Dagen, page 20:

     en del av anlegget forbeholdes eldre med behov for ulike omsorgstilbud og tilgang til helsetjenester i livets aften

     part of the facility is reserved for the elderly with a need for various care services and access to health services in the last parts of life

   i aften ― tonight

   i aftes ― earlier this night

   i går aftes ― last night

   livets aften ― last days of life

   1. an evening (a party or gathering held in the evening)
      • 1936, Arbeiderbladet, page 5:

        Arnulf og Hildur Øverland gir aften i Folkets hus

        Arnulf and Hildur Øverland give an evening in Folkets hus

      • 1995 December 28, Aftenposten, page 23:

        på nyåret inviterer den unge kokken til en ny kulinarisk og kunstnerisk aften

        in the new year, the young chef invites you to a new culinary and artistic evening

      • 1874, Henrik Ibsen, De unges forbund, page 141:

        siden skal vi ha’e os en lystig aften

        since we're going to have a fun night

      • 1879, Henrik Ibsen, Et dukkehjem, page 148:

        hvorfor skal man ikke ta’e sig en glad aften efter en vel anvendt dag?

        why not start a happy evening after a good day?

      • 2014 March 31, Rogalands Avis, page 41:

        en lystig aften med god musikk og allsang

        a merry evening with good music and singing

2. (Christianity) an eve (the evening or day before a major church celebration)

   holde aften ― gather guests the night before a wedding

   • 1827, Søren Christian Sommerfelt, Physisk-oeconomisk beskrivelse over Saltdalen i Nordlandene, page 110:
3. a dinner or supper (a meal eaten in the evening; dinner eaten in the evening)
   • 1874, Henrik Ibsen, De unges forbund, page 37:

     du [har] spist tungt til aften

     you [have] eaten heavily tonight

   • 1890, Henrik Ibsen, Hedda Gabler, page 112:

     Løvborg har meget mere lyst til [å] spise til aftens med mig

     Løvborg has much more desire to [eat] tonight with me

   • 1911, Sigrid Undset, Jenny, page 306:

     hun fik ham til at gaa med sig i teatrene og spise aftens ute

     she made him go with her to the theaters and eat out in the evening

   • 1917, Gunnar Heiberg, Samlede dramatiske verker I, page 7:

     jeg skal ut og stelle til aften

     I'm going out to take care of dinner

   • 1914, Sigrid Undset, Vaaren, page 209:

     efter aftens var Rose gaat ind

     after supper Rose had entered

   • 2012 September 22, Halden Arbeiderblad, page 27:

     egg er vanvittig godt - både alene og tilberedt. Til frokost, til formiddagsmat, til dessert og til aftens

     eggs are insanely good - both alone and cooked. For lunch, for breakfast, for dessert and for supper

   • 2015 January 27, ABC Nyheter‎^{[abcnyheter.no]}:

     det er viktig at du serverer sunn mat regelmessig, og at barnet spiser det han eller hun vil til frokost, lunsj, mellommåltider og aftens

     It is important that you serve healthy food regularly, and that the child eats what he or she wants for breakfast, lunch, snacks and supper.

   Synonyms: aftensmat, aftensmåltid, kvelds, kveldsmat, kveldsmåltid

• kveld (“evening”)

• (times of day) døgnets tider; demring/daggry, soloppgang, morgen, formiddag, middag, dag, ettermiddag, solnedgang, blåtime, tussmørke, kveld/aften, midnatt, natt, ^{(Category: nb:Times of day)}

aften m

1. definite singular of afte

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

• fante, fetna

From Middle English often, ofte, from Old English oft, from Proto-Germanic *ufta.

• af'en, affen, oaffen, oaften

• IPA^(key): /ˈɑfən/
• (Northern Isles) IPA^(key): /ˈafən/, /ˈɑ-/

aften (comparative aftener, superlative aftenest)

1. often

• aftentimes

Derived from Old Norse aptann (“evening”).

aften (plural aftens)

1. (Shetland) evening

• “aften”, in The Dictionary of the Scots Language, Edinburgh: Scottish Language Dictionaries, 2004–present, →OCLC.
• Eagle, Andy, editor (2024), “aften”, in The Online Scots Dictionary‎^[1]