Etymology

Of origin from the 17th century. Skagerrak was the official name on maps (from the 18th century), Kattegatt the vulgar name between sailors. In time, Kattegatt came to be the more common name and Skagerrak only meant the outer part of the area, between Skagen and Norway. In the 19th century the names were still used synonymously. "Skagerrak" contains a prefix from the name Skagen, and a word meaning "straight stretch"(rak, from Dutch and Low German),( in modern Dutch "rak" is a straight stretch in an otherwise sinious waterway; in modern sailing the distance to be sailed between two points)" i.e., the straight passage past Skagen. Source: Svenskt ortsnamnslexikon (Swedish lexicon of placenames).

Proper noun

1. The marine passage between Norway and Denmark, formerly also included the passage between Sweden and Denmark now called the Kattegatt.