Svíkja

Svíkja is an Icelandic verb meaning to betray, deceive, or fail to keep a promise. It can refer to personal betrayal within relationships, to deceiving someone in social or professional contexts, or to breaking a commitment. The action often carries moral implications and is used in both everyday speech and more formal discourse.

In usage, svíkja is a transitive verb that takes a direct object referring to the person or thing betrayed. It can express a range of fault, from letting someone down to active wrongdoing. Common collocations include svíkja einhvern (to betray someone) and svíkja loforð (to break a promise) or svíkja traust (to betray trust), depending on context.

The noun svik means betrayal or deceit, and is closely related to the verb. The word is attested in Icelandic across historical and contemporary texts and has cognates in other Nordic languages, reflecting its roots in the broader Germanic linguistic tradition.