Viðtöku

Viðtöku is an Icelandic noun that denotes the act or process of receiving something, or of being received. The term is used across several contexts to express reception, uptake, or acceptance. In everyday language it can refer to hosting visitors, welcoming proposals, or the intake of information.

In scientific and technical usage the notion of reception or uptake appears in different fields. In biology and medicine, related forms such as viðtaki (receptor) describe molecules that bind specific signals or ligands, triggering cellular responses. In these contexts viðtöku or its related forms can indicate the process by which a cell or organism takes up a substance or responds to a signal. In information technology and communications, the concept of receiving signals or data is also captured by the same root, with viðtöku appearing in phrases that denote reception or uptake of information.

Etymologically, viðtöku derives from the verb taka, “to take,” with the prefix við-, which in Icelandic often conveys notions of re-, exchange-, or repeat-taking, yielding a meaning related to reception or uptake. The word is part of a family of terms built around taking or receiving, and its exact sense is sensitive to the domain in which it is used.

See also: viðtaki, mottaka, taka.