romantisk

Romantisk is an adjective used in Swedish, Norwegian, and Danish to denote qualities related to romance, sentiment, or idealized emotion. It is cognate with the English word romantic and is applied to people, relationships, works of art, and atmospheres that emphasize feeling, imagination, or affection. The term can describe personal traits as well as aesthetic styles.

Origin and evolution: The word derives from Latin romanticus via Old French romantique and spread through European languages. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the Romantic movement gave rise to nouns such as Romantiken (Swedish), romantikk (Norwegian), and romantik (Danish), and transformed the sense of the adjective to encompass literature, music, art, and nature characterized by emotion, individuality, and the sublime.

Usage notes: In Swedish, Norwegian, and Danish, the adjective inflects for gender and number (for example Swedish ett romantiskt förhållande; en romantisk gest). In literature and media the term often signals idealized love or picturesque settings; in everyday speech it can convey sentimentality or charm depending on context.

Related terms vary by language: in Swedish Romantiken denotes the Romantic movement, in Norwegian romantikk, and in Danish romantik. The phrase romantisk komedie or romantisk film is common when referring to romantic genres in contemporary media.