lögðu

Lögðu is a word in the Icelandic language that appears as a finite verb form derived from the verb leggja/leggja, meaning to lay, place, or put down. In standard Icelandic grammar, lögðu is encountered primarily in past-tense contexts and is especially common in historical writing, literature, and biblical translations. The form reflects the long, inflected conjugation that characterizes Icelandic verbs and illustrates the language’s development from Old Norse.

Etymology and related forms: lögðu originates from the Old Norse lagð- and is connected to the broader Germanic root behind the verb “to lay.” The modern Icelandic infinitive is leggja, with a suite of related forms across tenses and persons. The spelling and pronunciation of lögðu are products of regular Icelandic sound changes, including vowel alternations and consonant mutations typical of the laggja/leggja verb family.

Usage: lögðu functions as a past-tense form used with different subjects, depending on the sentence. It can appear in narrative passages to indicate that something was laid, placed, or set down at a point in the past. Because of Icelandic’s rich inflection, the precise meaning can vary with context and auxiliary structures, although the core sense remains “to lay/place.”

See also: leggja (to lay/put), leggja (alternative form of the verb), lagja (historical/variant spellings), lagðar (past participle form in related constructions). Lögðu is primarily of interest to students of Icelandic grammar, historical texts, and linguistic study rather than as a common everyday word in contemporary speech.