Fjarlægja

Fjarlægja is a transitive Icelandic verb meaning to remove, take away, detach, or distance something from something else. It covers both physical removal and the elimination or exclusion of non‑physical elements, such as information, text, or people, depending on context.

In everyday use, fjarlægja commonly describes removing tangible objects. For example, one might say, “Hún fjarlægði rykið af borðinu” (She removed the dust from the table) or “húsgögn voru fjarlægð til að gera pláss” (the furniture was removed to make space). The verb is also used for removing unwanted items from a collection or list, such as “fjarlægja gamaldags myndir úr safninu.”

In editing, publishing and information handling, fjarlægja refers to erasing or excluding content. Examples include “fjarlægja villur úr texta” (to remove errors from the text) or “fjarlægja óviðkomandi texta” (to remove irrelevant text). In computing and IT, it can mean uninstalling software or deleting data, for instance “fjarlægja forrit eða gögn af kerfi.”

In organizational or policy contexts, fjarlægja can imply exclusion or removal of a person or item from a group, list, or institution, such as “fjarlægjast frá hópi” or “fjarlægja einstakling úr starfsemi.” The exact sense—physical removal, deletion, or exclusion—depends on the surrounding words and situation.