Sofnaði

Sofnaði is an Icelandic verb meaning to fall asleep. It is the past tense form of sofna, which denotes the act of going to sleep, whether in a literal sense or as a figure of drifting off. In ordinary use, sofna describes the onset of sleep, such as someone falling asleep after a long day, or a person dozing off during an activity. The past tense sofnaði is used when the subject fell asleep in the past, and the verb can be used in a variety of simple, everyday contexts, for example: "Hann sofnaði í bílnum" (He fell asleep in the car).

Etymology and cognates: Sofna originates from the Icelandic Proto-Nordic and Proto-Germanic linguistic roots related to sleep. Related forms exist in other Nordic languages, such as Danish and Norwegian, with those languages using cognate verbs like sofa/ sovne to express the onset of sleep. These cognates illustrate common Germanic roots for sleep-related verbs across the region.

Usage notes: Sofna and its forms are common in colloquial and written Icelandic. It covers both the moment of falling asleep and the broader concept of going to sleep, without implying any particular duration of sleep. The verb can be combined with time expressions to indicate when the sleep occurs and is often used in narrative or descriptive contexts.

See also: Sleep, Dream, List of Icelandic verbs.