gagnrýninnar

Gagnrýninnar is the genitive singular form of the Icelandic masculine noun gagnrýninn, which means “the critic.” In Icelandic, the genitive case is used to express possession or close association, and gagnrýninnar is the form that signals that something belongs to or is connected with a critic. The word appears mainly in formal or literary contexts and in dictionaries or linguistic explanations that illustrate how Icelandic inflects nouns for possession.

In usage, gagnrýninnar functions much like other genitive forms in Icelandic: it marks a relationship between the critic and another noun in a noun phrase. This can translate into English as “the critic’s” or “of the critic.” Because Icelandic has a rich system of inflection, the exact form you see can vary with emphasis, definiteness, and the surrounding grammatical structure. Gagnrýninn itself is the base form referring to a critic, while gagnrýninnar expresses possession or association in the genitive singular.

The term is primarily encountered in linguistic discussions, grammar guides, and scholarly writing about Icelandic morphology. It is less likely to appear in everyday conversation, where speakers may use alternative constructions to convey possession or attribution. Related topics include the broader study of the genitive case in Icelandic, the noun gagnrýning (criticism), and general Icelandic noun inflection.

For those studying the language, understanding gagnrýninnar helps illustrate how Icelandic marks possession and association, a key feature of its nominal syntax.