Timabilið

Timabilið is the definite form of the Icelandic noun timabil, meaning a period or interval of time. It denotes a span with defined start and end points and is used in historical writing, geology, economics, and planning to refer to a specific phase within a larger timeline. The term is formed from tími, time, and bil, gap or interval, and follows Icelandic noun inflection patterns to indicate definiteness.

In grammar, timabil is a neuter noun, and timabilið is used when the period is known or being fixed in context. Common uses include phrases such as timabilið frá 1930 til 1950, the period from 1930 to 1950, and í þessu timabili, during this period. The word often appears in academic discourse, public discourse, and media when events or data are organized around a bounded time frame.

Timabilið is frequently contrasted with broader concepts like era or age, which can imply a more general or extended span without strict boundaries. It is also employed in planning and project management to designate a defined phase, such as marking milestones within a timabil.

See also: tími (time), timabil (the broader concept of a period), aldur (age), skeið (epoch or phase).