Orðskýringar

Orðskýringar are the Icelandic equivalents of dictionary entries, providing systematic linguistic descriptions of individual words. The term derives from the Icelandic words for “word” (orð) and “description” (skýrandi). These entries serve as the foundational units in both print and digital Icelandic dictionaries. Each entry typically includes the word’s spelling, pronunciation, part‑of‑speech category, a concise definition, and illustrative examples of usage. Additional information may be present, such as derivational forms, inflectional paradigms, and occasionally etymological notes tracing the word’s origin. Icelandic dictionaries often employ a consistent formatting style: the headword is followed by the phonological representation enclosed in slashes, then the grammatical label, and finally the definition line. Example sentences are given in the Icelandic language, sometimes accompanied by an English translation for bilingual dictionaries.

Historically, Icelandic lexicographers have maintained a tradition of thoroughness dating back to early lexicons like the 19th‑century Árni Magnússon's lexicon. Modern digital resources, such as the Bæði-Lexicon and the online Icelandic Dictionary (Orðabók), have expanded the scope of orðskýringar to include contemporary slang, technical terms, and updated usage tropes. The inclusion of morphological tables has become standard, allowing users—especially learners of Icelandic—to see all inflected forms at a glance. In contemporary linguistic research, orðskýringar are consulted for corpus‑based frequency data and semantic field studies, thereby linking lexicography with broader linguistic methodology. Although the core information remains consistent, newer entries increasingly present collation with syntactic annotations and semantic network links in electronic editions. Together, these components make orðskýringar an indispensable resource for students, translators, writers, and computational linguists interested in Icelandic.