líf

líf is a noun in Old Norse, Icelandic, and other North Germanic languages meaning life, the condition of being alive, or vitality. In modern Icelandic it retains the same sense and is used in everyday language as well as in literature. The form is closely related across the Scandinavian languages, with Danish liv, Norwegian liv, Swedish liv, and English life as cognates. The word derives from a common Proto-Germanic root, though exact reconstructions vary among scholars.

In Norse mythology, Lif (Líf) and Lifþrasir (Lífþrasir) are two humans who survive Ragnarök by taking refuge in Hodmímis Holt and later repopulate the world. This mythic function places líf at the heart of renewal and the continuation of humanity after catastrophe, a theme recurring in later Icelandic and Scandinavian literature.

In modern use, líf encompasses biological life as well as existential meanings of life and living conditions. In Icelandic, it can appear in compounds such as lífskraft (vitality) or lífsgæði (quality of life), reflecting its broad semantic range from biological existence to experience and vitality.

Orthography and pronunciation reflect its North Germanic roots, with the Icelandic word written líf and pronounced roughly as life. The term functions as a standard lexeme for life in Icelandic and appears in historical texts, poetry, and contemporary discourse, maintaining its role as a foundational concept in language and culture.