Skilgreinir

Skilgreinir is a present-tense verb form in Icelandic meaning "defines." It is the third-person singular form of the verb skilgreina, which means to define, delineate, or specify the meaning of something. In ordinary prose, skilgreinir is used to attribute a definition to a subject, for example: "Höfundurinn skilgreinir hugtakið sem ..." (The author defines the term as ...).

Etymology and related forms: Skilgreina is built from the verb stem skil- together with greina, and the related noun skilgreining means "definition." The participle form skilgreint means "defined." Other related verbs include skilja (to understand) and greina (to analyze or examine), but skilgreina specifically targets defining or specifying meaning. The conjugation follows standard Icelandic verb patterns for weak verbs with present-tense endings.

Usage and context: Skilgreinir appears frequently in dictionaries, encyclopedias, academic writing, and explanatory passages where a term or concept is being explicitly defined. It is used to present a precise interpretation or criteria that set a term apart. For example, a scholarly sentence might read: "Rannsóknin skilgreinir hugmyndina sem samspil fegurðar, form og tilgangs," illustrating how a definition anchors subsequent discussion.

Grammatical notes: As a finite verb, skilgreinir agrees with a third-person subject in the present tense. The verb forms to know include skilgreindi (past tense) and skilgreint (past participle). In lexicographic or definitional passages, skilgreining is the noun form that denotes the act or result of defining.