Orðasöfn

Orðasöfn is the Icelandic term for dictionaries or lexicons: collections of words with information about their meanings, pronunciation, usage, etymology and other language data. They can be monolingual, describing Icelandic for Icelandic users; bilingual, translating between Icelandic and other languages; or specialized, focusing on domains such as science, law, or computing. General dictionaries may be descriptive, recording current usage, or prescriptive to varying degrees, though modern lexicography often blends aims.

A typical orðasafn entry includes a headword, part of speech, pronunciation, one or more senses with definitions, inflectional information, etymology, usage notes, and example sentences. Many entries also provide semantic relationships such as synonyms or antonyms, cross-references to related lemmas, and notes on regional or stylistic variation. In electronic dictionaries, entries may be linked to corpora, frequency data and pronunciation audio, improving search and update capabilities.

Types of orðasöfn include monolingual Icelandic dictionaries, bilingual dictionaries (Icelandic–English, Icelandic–Danish, etc.), learner dictionaries, historical dictionaries documenting the language’s development, and technical dictionaries for specialized vocabularies. The rise of digital lexicography has produced online databases, apps and APIs that enable rapid updates to reflect new words and shifts in usage. Orðasöfn support language education, writing, translation and research, and play a key role in language preservation and standardization.