Sölutekna

Sölutekna is a term found in Icelandic historical sources referring to marks, signs, or labels used to indicate items for sale. The word is formed from sølu or sölu meaning sale and teikna meaning to draw or mark, suggesting a practice in which drawing or inscriptions functioned as labeling in markets and shops.

Historically, sölutekna encompassed hand-drawn price tags, category symbols, and small pictorial motifs attached to goods, stalls, or inventories. They were commonly produced on materials such as cardboard, wood, or cloth and ranged from simple numerals to more decorative illustrations. In some contexts the term also covered illustrated catalogs or display elements where items were indicated by sketches rather than printed text.

Geographic and temporal scope appears most clearly in Icelandic mercantile records and dictionaries from the 18th to early 20th centuries, with the practice gradually declining as standardized price tags, printed catalogs, and modern signage became prevalent. In contemporary Icelandic, the term sölutekna is rarely used; more common expressions for marking prices or describing goods include verðmiði (price tag) and vara lýsing (item description).

As a historical concept, sölutekna provides insight into how merchants communicated product information in traditional markets. See also price tag, marketplace signage, and Icelandic trade terminology.