breyttan

Breyttan is an Icelandic grammatical form that appears as an inflected variant of the adjective breyttur, meaning changed or altered. The form arises when the adjective modifies a masculine singular noun in contexts that require a definite or emphatic construction. The root breyt- comes from the verb breyta, “to change,” and the suffix -an marks the word as the definite form in this particular grammatical environment. In contemporary usage, breyttan is relatively rare and is typically encountered in formal writing, poetry, or historical texts. The ordinary, indefinite form is breyttur, used with indefinite masculine singular nouns.

In analysis of Icelandic morphology, breyttan illustrates how adjectives agree with nouns in gender, number, and case, and how definite marking can influence the ending of the adjective. The form may also appear in certain fixed expressions or dialectal registers, depending on regional conventions.

Due to varying orthographic conventions over time, and because Icelandic grammar allows flexibility in stylistic contexts, dictionaries may note breyttan as a historical or literary variant rather than a standard modern form. See also: breyta, breyttur, Icelandic grammar, adjectives in Icelandic.