þekk

þekk is a linguistic stem associated with the Icelandic verb þekkja, which means to know or to recognize. In modern Icelandic, þekkja is the full verb, while þekk- functions as the stem used to form inflected forms and related derivatives. The stem also yields the abstract noun þekking, meaning knowledge or understanding. Consequently, þekk is not typically used as a standalone word in contemporary Icelandic dictionaries; it serves as a building block for related forms.

In linguistic descriptions, the morpheme þekk- is the present-root that participates in conjugation and in the creation of related vocabulary. Examples of usage include phrases such as Ég þekki þig (I know you) and Hann þekkir mig (He recognizes me), where the stem appears as the basis for the verb forms. The noun þekking illustrates the semantic extension from knowing to knowledge.

Orthography and history: the form uses the thorn letter þ, a characteristic feature of Icelandic orthography and of Older Norse written tradition. The thorn continues to distinguish words and morphemes in Icelandic, while other languages historically used digraphs like th. The wider Germanic vowel sound family shows cognates in related languages, such as Danish kender/kende and Swedish känna, reflecting a shared lineage around concepts of knowing and recognizing.

See also: Icelandic language; Old Norse; thorn (letter); knowledge; verb morphologies.