virksom

Virksom is a North Germanic adjective used in Danish and Norwegian to describe someone or something that is active, working, or in operation. It is closely related to the corresponding noun for a business or enterprise in these languages, such as virksomhed in Danish and virksomhet in Norwegian. The form reflects the idea of being productive or functioning. In Swedish, a cognate form verksam serves a similar role, and appears in related words such as verksamhet (activity, operation).

Etymology and cognates: Virksom is generally traced to the verb virke, meaning to work. The suffix -som attaches to express a quality of being characterized by work or activity. This family of terms is reflected across Scandinavian languages, with Swedish verksam and native forms in Norwegian and Danish that convey related notions of activity, operation, and enterprise.

Usage and meanings: In Danish, virksom is more commonly seen in older or formal contexts and is often associated with notions of activity or operability rather than simply naming a business. The standard noun for a business entity is virksomhed, while virksom can appear in compounds or fixed expressions to emphasize functionality or activeness. In Norwegian, virksomhet remains the standard noun for a company or enterprise, and the adjective virksom denotes active or operational states. In Swedish, verksam is widely used, particularly in official or administrative language, to describe activities, organizations, or entities that are functioning.

See also: virksomhed (Danish), virksomhet (Norwegian), verksamhet (Swedish). Cognate concepts across these languages emphasize activity, operation, and enterprise.