Gagnorð

Gagnorð is an Icelandic noun formed from gagn meaning data or information and orð meaning word. The combination suggests a word associated with data or access. In contemporary Icelandic, the term is not commonly used for everyday digital security, where lykilorð is the standard word for a password. Nevertheless, gagnorð has several documented uses in different contexts.

In computing and information security, gagnorð can appear as a historical or informal term for a password or codeword that grants access to a system or file. It is more typical to encounter lykilorð or adgangsorð in modern texts, but gagnorð may be found in older manuals, technical discussions, or translations where a literal "data word" is intended.

In rhetoric and branding, gagnorð is sometimes used to mean a slogan, motto, or catchphrase that conveys a guiding message of an organization, campaign, or product. In this sense, it is roughly synonymous with mottó or slagorð, though those terms are more commonly used in everyday language.

In puzzles, games, or wordplay, gagnorð can appear as a keyword or answer word required to progress or unlock a clue.

See also: lykilorð, passphrase, codeword, mottó, slagorð, slogan.