Mögulegur

Mögulegur is an Icelandic adjective meaning "possible" or "potential." It is used to describe something that could occur, be true, or be achieved under certain conditions. The word appears in everyday speech as well as in formal writing.

Origin and form: The adjective is formed from the noun möguleiki, meaning "possibility" or "potential," with the suffix -gur that yields an attributive adjective. It agrees with the gender and number of the noun it modifies.

Inflection and usage: In standard Icelandic, adjectives inflect for gender, number, and case. Nominative singular forms are mögulegur (masculine), möguleg (feminine), and mögulegt (neuter). Nominative plural is usually mögulegir (masculine), mögulegar (feminine), and möguleg (neuter). Examples include: "mögulegur kostur" (a possible advantage) and "mögulegir kostir" (possible advantages). The common phrase "Það er mögulegt" means "It is possible."

Nuance: Mögulegur emphasizes feasibility or potential under certain conditions, rather than probability. For statements about likelihood, Icelandic speakers might choose other terms such as líklegt or kunna to express varying degrees of certainty.

In use, mögulegur functions similarly to its English equivalents, appearing before the noun it describes and adapting its endings to match grammatical gender and number. It is a standard, neutral term suitable for both descriptive and analytical contexts.