Skyndileg

Skyndileg is an Icelandic adjective meaning sudden or abrupt, describing events or changes that occur quickly and without warning. It is commonly used to indicate something happening unexpectedly rather than gradually, and it can describe both events and states.

Etymology and form: the word is formed from the root skynd- (related to hastening or moving quickly) with the common adjectival suffix -leg, which marks a characteristic or quality. The base word thus conveys the quality of rapid occurrence. In Icelandic, adjectives with this suffix take different endings to agree with the gender and number of the noun: skyndilegur (masculine), skyndileg (feminine), and skyndilegt (neuter).

Morphology and usage: as an attributive adjective it typically precedes the noun, for example, skyndileg breyting (a sudden change) or skyndilegur atburður (a sudden event). The adverb form is skyndilega, used to describe how something happens, as in hann hljóp skyndilega út. The feminine form skyndileg is often encountered before feminine nouns, while the masculine form skyndilegur and neuter skyndilegt appear with their respective nouns.

Relation to similar terms: skyndileg is closely related to skyndilegur, with the latter often used where masculine nouns are involved. It is distinct from terms emphasizing urgency or necessity, such as brátt or bráð, which focus more on immediacy or emergency rather than the suddenness itself.

See also: skyndilega, skyndilegur, suddenness in Icelandic, Icelandic adjectives.