líkja

Líkja is a term found in discussions of the Icelandic language that is commonly associated with the verb líkja, meaning to resemble or to liken, and with the related noun líking, which denotes analogy or a simile. In linguistic and literary contexts, likja and its cognates are used to describe the act of drawing comparisons between two or more entities.

Etymology and related forms

Líkja is linked to Old Norse and the broader North Germanic language family. It shares roots with contemporary Scandinavian cognates such as Norwegian likne and Swedish likna. The family of words around likja is used to express resemblance, comparison, and the creation of likeness between objects, ideas, or events in both ordinary speech and formal rhetoric.

Usage and meanings

In everyday Icelandic, the concept of likeness appears in phrases that compare one thing to another. In literary and rhetorical contexts, líking (the noun) functions as a device akin to simile or allegory, where a feature of one thing is described by reference to another. The verb form and related constructions facilitate expressing how two things are similar or how one thing is made to resemble another within a narrative or argument.

Relation to related terms

Líking, the noun for analogy or simile, is closely connected to likja in explaining how comparisons are built and understood. These terms are part of a broader toolkit for describing resemblance, metaphor, and rhetorical structure in Icelandic.

See also: líking, líkja, teikning of analogies in Icelandic literature.