tilfældigt

Tilfældigt is a Danish word used as both an adjective and an adverb, conveying that something happens without deliberate planning or by chance. As an adjective, it describes things not determined by intention, often signaling a random or incidental nature, for example en tilfældig udvælgelse (a random selection). As an adverb, it expresses that something occurs by chance or accidentally, as in Det skete tilfældigt (It happened by chance). In technical or statistical contexts Danish tends to prefer the term tilfældig for “random,” for example tilfældig prøvetagning (random sampling) or tilfældige tal (random numbers). The adverbial form tilfældigt remains common in everyday speech to indicate coincidence or unordered occurrence.

Etymology and related terms: Tilfældigt derives from tilfælde, meaning occurrence or chance, with the suffix -igt forming an adjective and allowing an adverbial use. Related words include tilfælde (case, occurrence), tilfældighed (chance, randomness), and tilfældigvis (by coincidence). The distinction between tilfældig and tilfældigt can be subtle and may vary by register or regional usage; tilfældig is more common in formal or technical language, while tilfældigt appears frequently in everyday speech to emphasize spontane or accidental aspects.

Usage notes: In Danish, tilføges or regional variations may influence preference for the adjective versus adverbial form. Both forms center on non-deliberate or non-determined occurrences, with context guiding whether a phrase emphasizes randomness, coincidence, or incidentalness. See also: tilfælde, tilfældighed, tilfældigvis, tilfældig.