liggjandi

Liggjandi is the present participle of the Icelandic verb liggja, meaning to lie down or to be in a reclining position. As a non-finite form, liggjandi functions as an adjective and as part of predicative constructions to denote a state of lying or reclining. The term is used to describe a person or object that is in a horizontal posture, for example liggjandi maður or liggjandi á bakinu, and it can appear in clauses such as er liggjandi, meaning “is lying,” as in Hann er liggjandi á rúminu.

In grammar, liggjandi typically agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies, behaving like a standard Icelandic present participle adjective. It is used attributively before a noun or predicatively with a linking verb, most often er being in common constructions to express a continuing state.

Contexts and usage: liggjandi appears across medical, legal, and descriptive prose to specify posture or position. Medical notes might describe a patient as liggjandi, with further specification such as liggjandi á bakinu or liggjandi kyrrt. In narrative text, liggjandi provides a concise way to indicate someone who is lying down without repeating liggja in finite form.

Etymology and related forms: liggjandi derives from the verb liggja, with the present participle suffix -andi. It is cognate with Danish liggende and Norwegian liggende, reflecting common North Germanic roots. The term remains a standard part of Icelandic grammar for describing horizontal posture.