Efnisleg

Efnisleg is Icelandic for substance-related or material, and is used as an adjective to describe content, matter, or value rather than form or procedure. In English, it is commonly rendered as substantive or substantial, depending on the context.

The word derives from the noun efni, meaning material, matter, or content, combined with the adjectival suffix -leg/ -legur. In Icelandic grammar, efnislegur, efnisleg, and efnislegt are the masculine, feminine, and neuter forms, respectively. The term is widely used across academic, legal, and public discourse to indicate that something has real content or material significance.

Common usages include discussing arguments, documents, or rights that have substantive weight. Examples: efnisleg rök (substantive reasons), efnislegt innihald (substantive content), efnisleg réttindi (substantive rights). It is often contrasted with formlegt, which refers to procedural or formal aspects rather than the underlying content.

In practice, efnisleg is applied to topics where the emphasis is on what is being stated, proven, or granted, rather than on how it is presented or processed. It appears in policy discussions, court rulings, academic writing, and media analysis to signal that the focus is on substance and content rather than form.

See also: formlegt, andlegt, and form, as well as phrases that combine efnislegt with other nouns to indicate value, relevance, or impact.