Forklarlig

Forklarlig is a coined term that appears in discussions on explanation and understanding in philosophy of science and linguistics. It refers to the quality of a phenomenon, proposition, or concept that can be clearly explained using established theories, models, or causal mechanisms. In this sense, something forklarlig is considered tractable from the standpoint of explanation.

Etymologically, the word is built from the verb forklarere or forklare, meaning to explain, and the suffix -lig, common in Scandinavian languages to form adjectives meaning “able to” or “characterized by.” As a result, forklarlig is often presented as a language-neutral or cross-linguistic neologism intended to describe explainability rather than a fixed technical term with wide approval.

Usage and context vary. In science communication and education, the label forklarlig can describe concepts that are straightforward to teach because they line up with clear causal accounts or widely accepted models. In discussions about artificial intelligence, it might be used to characterize models or decisions that are readily interpretable to humans. The term is not yet standardized and is not widely adopted in major dictionaries, so its precise meaning can differ by author or context.

Related concepts include explainable and explicable, transparency, and causality. Because forklarlig lacks formal status, it is best treated as a provisional descriptor rather than a canonical technical term, with attention to regional usage and definitional clarity.