eðlilegu

Eðlilegu is an inflected form of the Icelandic adjective eðlilegur, which translates roughly as natural, inherent, or normal. In standard Icelandic, adjectives agree with the noun they modify in gender, number, case, and definiteness, and eðlilegu is the neuter singular form used in certain grammatical contexts. It is not a separate lexical entry, but one of several inflected forms of the adjective.

Etymology: The adjective eðlilegur derives from the noun eðli, meaning nature or essence, with the suffix -ilegur. The development of eðlilegur and its inflected forms is connected to historic Scandinavian grammar, with cognates in related languages such as Old Norse.

Usage and nuance: In modern Icelandic, eðlilegur and its inflected forms describe things as natural, standard, or inherent to a system or phenomenon. The form eðlilegu specifically appears in sentences where a neuter noun is in a case that requires that ending. Like other adjectives, the exact form reflects the noun’s gender, number, case, and definiteness, so speakers choose the appropriate inflection to fit the syntactic role.

See also: eðli; eðlilegur; Icelandic grammar; Icelandic adjectives.

Note: eðlilegu functions as a grammatical form rather than as a standalone word with a separate meaning beyond that of the base adjective eðlilegur.