Skilgrein

Skilgrein is a term that appears in Icelandic linguistic and philosophical writings to refer to a definitional clause or the act of defining a term. The word is derived from the verb skilgreina, meaning to define. In standard Icelandic, the noun most commonly used for a definition is skilgreining, while skilgrein is a related form connected to the verb and found mainly in technical or grammatical discussions.

In practice, skilgrein is used in academic contexts to discuss aspects of definition rather than as a common everyday noun. It may appear in analyses of how terms are introduced or explained within a text, or as part of discourse about definitional clarity and precision. Because skilgrein is closely tied to the verb skilgreina, its precise grammatical behavior can vary with mood, tense, or voice in Icelandic, depending on how the author frames the definitional act.

Relation to related concepts is central in discussions of skilgrein. It is commonly contrasted with skilgreining, the standard noun for a complete definition, and with broader topics such as lexical semantics, formal semantics, and lexicography. In practical use, authors may rely on skilgrein to point to the act of defining itself, while skilgreining denotes the delivered definition or definitional statement.

See also: skilgreining, definition, lexicography, semantics, Icelandic language.