komisk

Komisk is an adjective used in Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish to describe something that is humorous, funny, or related to comedy. It can refer to people, works of art, or situations, for example a komisk film, a komisk scene, or a komisk misforståelse.

Etymology and usage across languages: The term is cognate with the English word comic and the French comique, all tracing back to Latin comicus and Greek komikos. In the Scandinavian languages, komisk functions similarly to describe Humour or comic quality, and it is used in both everyday speech and more formal writing.

Usage notes: In common speech, komisk often conveys a light, entertaining sense of humor. It can describe humorous effects, anecdotes, or performances, but it can also appear in ironic or absurd contexts, where something is described as komisk because it is oddly funny or ridiculous. The exact nuance may vary by language and region, and speakers may prefer more specific terms like rolig (funny) or komedi (comedy) in particular contexts.

Relation to related terms: Komisk sits alongside other words for humor and comedy, such as komedie (comedy), komiker (comedian), and humor/rolig in the respective languages. While not a proper noun, it can be used in titles or descriptions to signal a humorous or comedic character or genre.

See also: comedy, humor, komedie, komiker.