Nafnleg

Nafnleg is a term used in Icelandic linguistics to describe the study of proper names within the language. It addresses how given names, surnames, and toponyms are formed, inflected, and used in discourse, and how they interact with the wider grammar of Icelandic. The field covers morphology, syntax, orthography, and the sociolinguistic aspects of naming conventions. While general noun inflection affects common nouns, nafnleg focuses on the irregularities and patterns observed in proper names, including how names are declined for case and number, how articles and adjectives agree with names, and how foreign names are adapted to Icelandic spelling and pronunciation.

Key topics include: declensional patterns for personal names, the treatment of definite vs. indefinite use of names, the integration of patronymics and matronymics, and the orthographic conventions for capitalization and diacritics. The field also deals with historical changes in name forms and with toponymy, the study of place names, and the interface with onomastics.

Applications of nafnleg appear in lexicography, language teaching, and computational linguistics, where accurate handling of names is essential for parsing, text generation, and data tagging. It also informs editorial standards for official documents and media.

See also: onomastics, anthroponymy, toponymy, Icelandic grammar.