forspá

Forspá is a term used in Icelandic-language contexts to denote a forecast or prophecy of future events. The word is typically treated as a compound of for- and spá, roughly meaning “foretelling” or “prediction made in advance.” In early Icelandic and medieval texts, forspá appears in discussions of divination, omen, and prophecy, often in religious or mythological material.

In contemporary usage, forspá is relatively rare outside scholarly or literary discussion. For everyday purposes, speakers prefer spá to mean “to predict” and veðurspá specifically for a weather forecast. When forspá appears, it tends to carry a formal or archaic tone and may be used to refer to prophetic pronouncements attributed to seers, oracles, or divine revelations.

In linguistic or philological analysis, forspá may be contrasted with other predictive terms, highlighting nuances such as the authority of the source, the immediacy of the forecast, or the cultural context in which it is delivered.

See also: spá; veðurspá; forspá in historical texts.