Merkested

Merkested is a minor morpheme in the Old Norse language. It is found as an infix or a separable prefix attached to verbs, other than the intransitive verbs which use the frequentative suffix ge- or ha-. The addition of the morpheme indicates the action of arriving at or up to something.

The prefix is formed from the base "merk-", which is related to the verb "merkiz" meaning "to survey" or "to take notice of". The morpheme is generally used when an object receives an action, such as "ráða merktestr" which translates to "to arrive at a decision". Its usage contrasts with other morphemes such as "t" which indicates the action of removing through going, cutting or taking away.

While somewhat uncommon, the Merkested prefix is not unique to a specific dialect or time period within Old Norse. Its use has been encountered in both Icelandic and Greenlandic manuscripts of varying eras. The exact conditions for its application, including acceptable verb types and nuances of meaning, have not been extensively analyzed.