Brotið

Brotið is an Icelandic noun meaning “the crime” or “the offense.” It is the definite singular form of the neuter noun brot, which in Icelandic denotes a violation of law or rules and is used in legal and public discourse to refer to a specific act that is criminal or wrongful. In everyday language, brot is more common in general discussion of crime, while brotið marks a definite reference, as in statutes, court reports, or news articles.

The word derives from Old Norse and belongs to a family of Germanic terms associated with breaking or violating established norms. In Icelandic, brotið appears primarily in formal contexts such as law, policy, and media, and is commonly translated into English as “the crime” or “the offense.” The term can be combined with adjectives or additional nouns to specify categories of offenses, though such constructions follow standard Icelandic syntax rather than forming fixed compounds.

As a definite form, brotið illustrates a broader feature of Icelandic noun inflection where definiteness is indicated by suffixes rather than separate articles. This usage reflects how Icelandic speakers mark specificity when discussing illegal acts, crimes, and violations.