årsake

Årsake is a Norwegian verb meaning to cause or bring about something. In contemporary Norwegian, it is largely superseded by the more common verb forårsake, which expresses the same idea and is widely used in everyday and formal language. The noun form for “the cause” is årsak (with a k); the noun årsake is rare and generally considered archaic or regional in modern usage.

Origin and related forms: The term is of Germanic origin. In related Scandinavian languages there are cognates such as Swedish orsak and Danish årsag, all linked to a common old-root meaning of cause or reason. These forms reflect historical connections across the languages and similar word families for notions of causation.

Usage notes: Årsake may appear in older legal, philosophical, or literary texts, but most current writing prefers forårsake or uses the noun årsak when referring to a reason or cause. In discussion of causality, Norwegian commonly employs terms like årsaksforhold or kausalitet, depending on the context.

See also: Årsak, orsak (the common noun for “the cause”); årsaksammenheng (causal relationship); kausalitet (causality). These terms are widely used in philosophy, science, and law to discuss why events occur and how they are connected.

In summary, årsake exists as a verb in Norwegian but is rarely used in modern language, with forårsake being the prevailing term for “to cause” and årsak the standard noun for “the cause.”