undskyld (Danish)
Where does "undskyld" come from?
The Danish term 'undskyld' traces its roots back to the Middle Low German word 'entschulden,' meaning to excuse. It shares a common ancestry with the modern German 'entschuldigen' and Norwegian 'unnskyld.' Over time, this expression evolved from a formal request for exoneration into the everyday way to offer an apology or politely ask for attention in Danish.
Full etymology tree
- undskyld (Danish), 'sorry (expression of regret or sorrow)'
- inherited undskylde (Danish), 'to excuse'
- derived entschulden (Middle Low German)
- inherited undskylde (Danish), 'to excuse'
Cognates and doublets
- entschuldigen (German)
Updated July 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris