Efnislegur

Efnislegur is an Icelandic adjective meaning material, physical, tangible, or substantial. It describes aspects that pertain to matter or substance, as opposed to abstract or mental characteristics. The term is used across everyday language, academia, and law to refer to the concrete, practical, or substantive dimension of something. In philosophy and related fields, efnislegur can denote things that have a physical or material basis, in contrast to andlegur, which relates to the mind or ideas.

Etymology and forms: The word derives from efni, meaning material, matter, or substance, with the suffix -legur forming an adjective meaning pertaining to or consisting of. In Icelandic, efnislegur is declined for gender, number, and definiteness, for example: masculine singular efnislegur, feminine singular efnisleg, neuter singular efnislegt; plural forms are efnislegir (masc), efnislegar (fem), and efnisleg (neut) in many contexts, with variations depending on definiteness and sentence structure.

Usage and context: Efnislegur commonly appears in phrases such as efnislegar kröfur (material or practical requirements), efnisleg gæði (tangible qualities), efnislegar þarfir (material needs), and efnisleg sönnun (physical evidence). It serves to distinguish the concrete, observable, or substantive aspects from abstract, theoretical, or mental ones. The term is widely understood in legal, economic, scientific, and everyday speech.

See also: andlegur, efni, efnislegur eðli, áþreifanlegt.