Eftirför

Eftirför is an Icelandic noun meaning pursuit or chase—the act of following someone or something with the aim of catching, overtaking, or obtaining it. It can refer to a literal pursuit, such as a police chase, or to a figurative pursuit of a goal, idea, or objective.

The term originates from the combination of eftir, meaning after or following, and för, meaning journey or movement. In Icelandic, the compound has historically conveyed the sense of following after something and pursuing it, a usage that has persisted into modern times with both concrete and abstract meanings.

In contemporary usage, eftirför appears in legal, law enforcement, sports, and media contexts to describe a chase or pursuit. It can also be used metaphorically to denote determined pursuit of a goal. For example, a sentence such as “Lögreglan var í eftirför eftir ökutækinu” illustrates a police pursuit. More generally, eftirför can describe the sustained effort to achieve an objective or to obtain something that is pursued over time.

Translations and related terms: In English, eftirför is usually rendered as “pursuit” or “chase.” It is related to broader Icelandic verbs and constructions that express following or seeking, such as eftir (after) and fylgja (to follow), though these are distinct lexical items.

See also: pursuit, chase, following.