The formal conjunction omend
When discussing academic topics like botanical studies, you will occasionally encounter the highly formal conjunction omend. It translates directly to "albeit" or "although" and is used to add a concession or qualification to a statement.
| The specimen is beautiful, albeit very poisonous. | Eksemplaret er smukt, omend meget giftigt. |
Elliptical clauses
Omend is most commonly used to introduce an elliptical clause. This is a shortened clause where the subject and verb are omitted because they are already obvious from the main sentence. Instead of saying "although it is very poisonous" (omend det er meget giftigt), you simply say "albeit very poisonous" (omend meget giftigt).
| The botanist said that the plant is hardy, albeit small. | Botanikeren sagde at planten er hårdfør, omend lille. |
Adjective agreement
When an adjective follows omend, it must still agree in gender and number with the noun it describes in the main clause.
For instance, if you are describing a plural noun, the adjective following omend must take the plural -e ending:
| Many native plants are pretty, albeit slightly poisonous. | Mange hjemmehørende planter er kønne, omend lidt giftige. |
Likewise, when describing a singular common-gender noun, you must use the basic form of the adjective:
| The high humidity is important, albeit very difficult to control. | Den høje fugtighed er vigtig, omend meget svær at styre. |
Qualifying actions
In addition to describing nouns, omend can also be used with adverbs to qualify how or when an action took place.
| The greenhouse had helped the specimen bloom, albeit late. | Væksthuset havde hjulpet eksemplaret med at blomstre, omend sent. |
| She examined the orchid, albeit slowly. | Hun undersøgte orkideen, omend langsomt. |
