Reiknivéla

Reiknivéla is an Icelandic term used to refer to devices that are used to perform arithmetic calculations. The word combines reikna, meaning to calculate, with a component related to machines, reflecting its function as calculating instruments. In contemporary Icelandic, reiknivéla is rarely used in everyday language, with reiknivél (calculator) and tölva (computer) standing as the common terms for specific technologies.

Historically, reiknivéla encompassed a range of calculation aids. Early forms included simple counting tools and tallying devices, which supported basic arithmetic in trade and administration. Over time, more specialized instruments such as abaci or counting boards appeared in various cultures and influenced practical computation. In the modern era, mechanical calculators and slide rules were widely used before electronic calculators became ubiquitous in the mid-20th century. With the advent of digital electronics, dedicated calculation devices gave way to electronic calculators and, later, to general-purpose computers for complex computations.

In Icelandic usage today, references to reiknivéla are mainly found in historical or linguistic contexts. Educational materials tend to differentiate between the general concept of a calculation device and the more specific terms reiknivél for calculators and tölva for computers. The term thus serves as a historical umbrella for devices used to perform calculations across different eras.

See also: reiknivél, tölva, calculator, computer.