# -else
## Danish
### Etymology

From -ilse, later -ælsæ, from Old Saxon -isli, -islo, from Proto-West Germanic *-islī. Also used to represent the Middle Low German suffix -nisse.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /-əlsə/, [-əlsə]

### Suffix

-else c (singular definite -elsen, plural indefinite -elser, plural definite -elserne)
* Added to a verb to form a noun for an action or process.
    ‎afbryde (“interrupt”) + ‎-else → ‎afbrydelse (“interruption”)
* The result of, or something related to, such an action or process

#### Synonyms

* -ing
* -sel
* -tion

#### Descendants

* Norwegian Bokmål: -else
** → Norwegian Nynorsk: -else

## Low German
### Alternative forms

* -els
* -elsch
* -sel
* -el

### Etymology

From Middle Low German -else, from Old Saxon -isli, -islo; from Proto-West Germanic *-islī.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /əlsə/, [(ə)lzə]

### Suffix

-else n
* Creating, from a verb, a noun which is created by the action of this verb (not necessarily one with which the verb is supposed to be done).
    Backelse (“pastry”): that which is baked (in a wider sense anything baked like bread and cakes) — from backen (“to bake”)
    Radelse (“riddle”): that which is guessed — from raden (“to guess”); compare German Rätsel, Dutch raadsel, Old English rǣdelse
    Riemelse (“rhyme”): that which is rhymed — from riemen (“to rhyme”)

## Middle Low German
### Alternative forms

* -sel

### Etymology

From Old Saxon -isli, from Proto-West Germanic *-islī.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /əlzə/

### Suffix

-else n (usually)
* Creating a noun from a verb, denoting something on which the verb is performed.
    ‎backen (“to bake”) + ‎-else → ‎backelse n (“a baked good”, literally “that which is created by baking”)
* Creating a noun from a verb, denoting an object which is used to perform the verb.
    ‎decken (“to cover”) + ‎-else → ‎deckelse n (“a cover, a roof, a wrapping”, literally “that which is used to cover”)

## Norwegian Bokmål
### Etymology

Mostly from Danish -else, from Old Danish -ælsæ -ilse, with metathesis of -sl- to -ls- from Old Saxon -isli, -islo.
Also from West Germanic loanwords, partly with metathesis of suffixes -sel and -sle from Middle Low German -nisse, from Old Saxon -nissi, from Proto-West Germanic *-nassī (forms abstract nouns), from *-nass, from Proto-Germanic *-inassuz + *-ī, from Proto-Germanic *-į̄, from Proto-Indo-European *-i-h₂, from *-h₂ (creates collective nouns).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˌɛlsə/, /ˌəlsə/
* Audio:(file)
* Rhymes: -ɛlsə, -əlsə
* Hyphenation: -el‧se
* Homophones: Else, -elset

### Suffix

-else m or n (definite singular neuter -elset, definite singular masculine -elsen, indefinite plural -elser, definite plural -elsene or -elsa)
* Used to form verbal nouns denoting an action.
    avgjørelse, forståelse, anfektelse, bebudelse, oppstandelse ― decision, understanding, challenge, proclamation, resurrection
* Used to form verbal nouns synonymous with the -ing ending.
    drøftelse, oversettelse, tilretteleggelse, utdannelse ― discussion, translation, facilitation, education
* Used to form verbal nouns denoting a different meaning than the -ing ending.
    forbindelse, lignelse ― connection, parable
* Used to form verbal nouns with a specific meaning, usually the result of an action
    skrivelse, spøkelse, stivelse ― writing, ghost, starch

#### See also

* -ing, -ning (“forms nouns”)

### References

* “-else” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
* “-else” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB).

### Anagrams

* esel, esle, lees, lese, sele

## Old English
### Alternative forms

* -elle

### Etymology

A metathetic form of Proto-West Germanic *-islī.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /el.se/, [eɫ.ze]

### Suffix

-else f
* (feminine suffix for inanimate objects) suffix creating nouns from verbs
    rǣdelse ― counsel, advice, riddle, enigma
    myrrelse, mierrelse ― an offense, scandal; stumblingblock

#### Declension

Weak:

#### Synonyms

* -els

#### Derived terms

* Category Old English terms suffixed with -else not found

#### Descendants

* English: -le

## Swedish
### Etymology

From Old Saxon -isli, -islo, from Proto-West Germanic *-islī. Also used to represent the Middle Low German suffix -nisse.

### Suffix

-else c
* -ment, -tion, -ing suffix creating nouns from verbs
    ‎röra (“to move”) + ‎-else → ‎rörelse (“movement”)
    ‎hända (“to happen”) + ‎-else → ‎händelse (“occurence”)