byrð

Byrð is a noun in Icelandic meaning burden, load, or weight. It can refer to a physical heaviness carried by a person or object, as well as to figurative obligations or duties. In modern Icelandic, byrð is common in everyday language and also occurs in literary and historical contexts to describe hardships or social burdens.

Historically, byrð is attested in Old Norse with the same meaning. It is related to cognate forms in other Germanic languages and traces back to a Proto-Germanic root for "load" or "burden," giving rise to related terms in several languages, including English burden.

In Icelandic discourse, byrð is a general term; more specialized words may be used in legal or philosophical contexts, but byrð remains a broad reference to something that weighs on a person or society, whether tangible or intangible.