Safnar

Safnar is an Icelandic verb meaning to collect or gather. It is the present-tense form used with third-person singular subjects, as in Hann safnar upplýsingum, which translates to He collects information. The infinitive form of the verb is safna. The word is commonly used across contexts, from collecting objects or stamps to compiling data or assembling materials for a project.

Etymology and related terms: Safnar comes from the Old Norse verb safna, itself tied to the noun safn, meaning a collection or archive. The link between the verb and the noun is reflected in Icelandic usage, where safn denotes a stored or organized group of items, such as a museum collection or an archive, and safna denotes the act of creating or increasing such a collection.

Usage notes: In everyday Icelandic, safna appears in both hobbyist and professional contexts. It can describe informal acts of gathering objects, as well as systematic data collection in research or record-keeping. Like many Icelandic verbs, it participates in typical tense and mood patterns, with infinitive safna and present-tense forms such as safnar for third-person singular subjects.

See also: safn, safnakerfi (collection system), safnaður (collected, as a past participle in certain constructions).