fornød

Fornød is a Danish noun that denotes an extreme state of need or distress that can compel action beyond ordinary norms. It refers to dire circumstances in which ordinary rules or duties may be set aside to prevent greater harm or to secure essential survival.

Etymology and sense: The word combines for- as an intensive prefix with nød, meaning need or distress. It appears in medieval and early modern Danish sources to describe situations of severe shortage or danger that call for urgent, decisive measures. In some discussions, fornød is treated as a moral or theoretical notion of necessity rather than a routine everyday condition.

Definition and nuance: Fornød signals a morally charged form of necessity—a circumstance in which conventional rights, obligations, or procedures may be overridden or reprioritized. In legal-philosophical contexts, it is often contrasted with standard notions of necessity or emergency, highlighting the exceptional character of such a state.

Historical usage: In historical law and literature, fornød is used to discuss famine, warfare, or natural disasters where communities or individuals must act swiftly to avert catastrophe. It has been employed to analyze duties of aid, mutual obligation, or prerogatives granted by necessity.

Contemporary usage: Today, fornød is largely archaic and mostly found in scholarly or literary discussions of old texts. In modern Danish, the term nød or nødvendighed is more common for everyday use, while fornød serves as a historical or theoretical reference to extreme need.

See also: nød, nødret, nødvendighed, necessity (in legal philosophy).