Líkamann

Líkamann is an Icelandic noun that translates to “the body” in the sense of a physical organism. It is the accusative singular form of líkaminn, the masculine definite form of líkami, which means “body.” The nominative definite form is líkaminn, while líkamann is used when the body is the direct object in a sentence.

In everyday Icelandic, líkamann marks the body as the thing affected by an action. The term appears across settings, including medical and biological writing as well as philosophical or religious discussions about the relationship between body and mind. Because it is the definite form, its use signals a specific body already identified in the discourse.

Etymology and related forms: the word derives from líkami, the common noun for “body,” with the definite article suffix -inn attached to form líkaminn in the nominative and líkamann in the accusative. Other inflected forms exist for different cases and numbers, reflecting Icelandic’s strong noun-declension patterns. The term is typically used when a speaker refers to a particular body rather than bodies in general.

See also: líkami, líkami-mál, sál (soul), líkamsráð (bodily health) – although not all terms are direct cognates, they appear in related discussions about the body and its relation to other aspects of personhood.