Afritunar

Afritunar is an Icelandic term that denotes the act or process of making copies or reproductions of texts, images, data, or other materials. It can refer to any act of duplication, from transcribing a manuscript by hand to producing a duplicate digital file. The word is formed from the verb afrita (to copy) with the noun-forming suffix -un, and the participial or genitive form afritunar is used to describe the activity itself.

Etymologically, afritunar derives from afrita, meaning to copy or imitate, combined with the suffix that turns verbs into nouns or gerunds. In historical Icelandic and manuscript culture, afritunar played a central role as scribes copied texts to preserve and disseminate literary works, legal documents, and religious writings. The practice enabled manuscripts to spread beyond a single copy and contributed to the preservation of Icelandic sagas and other scholarly works.

In contemporary usage, afritunar covers a broad range of copying activities. In libraries and archives, it refers to the creation of copies for preservation, access, and research. In education and publishing, it can describe transcription, quotation, or the reproduction of material under licensing terms. In digital contexts, afritunar extends to data duplication, backups, and file replication, where controls such as licensing, permissions, and copyright considerations govern what may be copied and how it may be shared.

See also: afrita, afritun, copying, reproduction.