orsakað

Orsakað is an Icelandic past passive participle and adjectival form derived from the verb orsaka, which means to cause. The word functions to denote something that has been caused or resulting from a specific cause, and it can be translated roughly as “caused” or “caused by” in English. In Icelandic, orsakað can be used both predicatively in passive constructions and attributively to modify a noun.

Etymology and form: Orsakað is formed from the verb orsaka with the suffix -ð to create a past participle. As with other Icelandic past participles, it agrees with the noun it modifies in gender and number when used in attributive position.

Usage: Orsakað appears in sentences to indicate causation or result. It is common in formal, scientific, and editorial writing, where a phenomenon is described as having been caused by a prior factor or event. The participle often appears in combination with auxiliary verbs to form passive meanings, and it can also function as a descriptive adjective before a noun.

Relation to related terms: The related noun orsök means “the cause.” The verb orsaka means “to cause.” The participle orsakað therefore expresses the state of having been caused, rather than naming the cause itself.

See also: Icelandic grammar; orsök; orsaka.