Skilgreindi

Skilgreindi is the simple past tense form of the Icelandic verb skilgreina, meaning to define, delineate, or articulate the meaning of something. It is used to indicate that a definition or description was given at a particular time in the past. The infinitive form is skilgreina; the past participle is skilgreindur (defined). The word belongs to regular -a verbs in Icelandic, and its past tense is commonly formed with the suffix -i, with person-specific endings in conjugated sentences.

In use, skilgreindi appears in academic, legal, and descriptive prose when reporting a past act of defining or interpreting a term. It can be followed by a direct object or a complement introduced by sem ('as') to specify how the term was defined. Example: Hann skilgreindi hugtakið sem sálfræðilegt fyrirbæri. The related participle form is skilgreindur, meaning 'defined.'

Etymology: skilgreina derives from the root skil-, associated with distinguishing or separating, combined with greina, which carries the sense of analysis or clarification. Together they form a verb meaning to give a definition or to characterize.

See also: Skilgreina; Skilgreindur; Definitions in Icelandic lexicography.