relasjon

Relasjon (Norwegian for relation) is a concept used across disciplines to denote a connection or association between entities. Etymology traces to Latin relatio, through Old French and English.

In linguistics, relasjoner describe how words relate within sentences and in meaning, including syntactic relations such as subject, object, and modifier, as well as semantic relations like synonymy, antonymy, meronymy, and thematic roles such as agent and patient.

In mathematics and logic, a relation is a set of ordered pairs in which the first element is related to the second. Examples include equality, the less-than relation, and the “is a parent of” relation. Relations may have properties such as reflexivity, symmetry, and transitivity. Functions are a special kind of relation in which each first element is related to exactly one second element.

In computer science, relational databases model data using relations, implemented as tables. Each table has rows (tuples) and columns (attributes); keys identify and access specific tuples. The relational model was formalized by E. F. Codd in 1970 and underpins many data-management systems.

In sociology and everyday language, relasjon refers to social or professional ties between people or organizations. Relasjoner can be intimate or formal and are shaped by factors such as trust, status, kinship, and collaboration.

See also: relation, relationship, and relation (disambiguation) for other senses of the term.