fröken

See also: frøken

Old Swedish

Alternative forms

• frögdeken, ᚠᚱᚯᚴᚽᚿ

Etymology

From Middle Low German vröuken, vrouwicken, diminutive of vrûwe, vrouwe (“woman, lady”), from Old Saxon frūa, from Proto-Germanic *frawjǭ.

Noun

fröken

1. (about or title of) unmarried princess
   • 1502 April 14, Carl Gustaf Styffe, “Sten Sture till Svante Nilsson, om krigarustningar och krigs- händelser, dat. Thorshälla d. 14 April 1502.”, in Bidrag till Skandinaviens historia ur utländska arkiver‎^[1], volumes Fjerde delen. Sverige i Sten Sture den yngres tid 1470-1503, published 1875, page 312:

     […] och hade for visse och sanne tidendhe, ath kongen han foldhe sin dotther frögdeken in i lanter (!) Holsteten (!) och ther bliffwer han qwar, […]

     […] and had for certain and true news, that the king he followed his daughter the princess into the country (!) Holstein (!) and there he remained, […]

Descendants

• Swedish: fröken

References

• fröken in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)

Swedish

Etymology

Inherited from Old Swedish fröken, from Middle Low German vröuken, vrouwicken, diminutive of vrûwe, vrouwe (“woman, lady”), from Old Saxon frūa, from Proto-West Germanic *frauwjā.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfrøːkɛn/

Noun

fröken c

1. (dated) Miss ((title for an) unmarried woman)

   Vill fröken ha kaffe?

   Would you like some coffee, Miss?

   Fröken Andersson kom och hälsade på

   Miss Andersson came to visit

3. (somewhat dated) a female teacher or pedagogue, Miss (in kindergarten or elementary school – especially when referred to or addressed by the children)

   Synonyms: (elementary school) skolfröken, (kindergarten) dagisfröken, lärarinna, lärare, pedagog

   Fröken! Jag behöver hjälp.

   Teacher! I need help.

   Våran fröken är jättesnäll!

   Our teacher is super nice!

4. (somewhat dated) Miss (as a term of address for a woman in certain functions, for example a waitress)

   Ursäkta fröken, skulle vi kunna få notan, tack?

   Excuse me Miss, could we have the bill, please?

5. (by extension) a young girl, a miss

   Hon är en envis liten fröken

   She is a stubborn little miss

6. (obsolete) an unmarried princess

Usage notes

• Still fairly common in (sense 2) among children, perhaps varying from (pre)school to (pre)school. Occasionally extended to male teachers or pedagogues (by children).
• Definite singular colloquially also fröknen/fröknens.
• After the you-reform of the 1960s and '70s, addressing by first name is seen as more appropriate in Sweden, except under the most formal of circumstances, like when addressing royalty.

Declension

Declension of fröken
	Singular		Plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Nominative	fröken	fröken	fröknar	fröknarna
Genitive	frökens	frökens	fröknars	fröknarnas

Derived terms

• dagisfröken
• fröken Höger
• skolfröken

See also

• -ska
• fru
• herr
• magister

References

• fröken in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• fröken in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• fröken in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)