cause vs excite

cause

verb
  • To actively produce as a result, by means of force or authority. 

  • To set off an event or action. 

noun
  • Sufficient reason for a state, as of emotion. 

  • A goal, aim or principle, especially one which transcends purely selfish ends. 

  • A suit or action in court; any legal process by which a party endeavors to obtain his claim, or what he regards as his right; case; ground of action. 

  • The source of, or reason for, an event or action; that which produces or effects a result. 

excite

verb
  • To arouse or bring out (e.g. feelings); to stimulate. 

  • To cause an electron to move to a higher than normal state; to promote an electron to an outer level. 

  • To energize (an electromagnet); to produce a magnetic field in. 

  • To stir the emotions of. 

How often have the words cause and excite occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )