lýðræði

Lærði is a word in Icelandic with two principal uses. First, it is the past tense form of the verb læra, meaning "to learn." In ordinary language it marks actions completed in the past, with forms such as ég lærði (I learned), þú lærðir (you learned), hann lærði (he learned), við lærðum (we learned), and so on. For example, in the sentence Ég lærði íslensku í skólanum, lærði is the first-person singular past tense meaning “I learned.”

Second, lærði has historically appeared as a noun or epithet meaning "the learned" or "scholar." In medieval and early modern Icelandic texts, educated people were sometimes described using this sense, referring to the scholarly class or to individuals noted for their learning. In modern usage, this sense is largely literary or archaic, and contemporary Icelandic typically employs terms such as fróður, menntaður, or specifically stated professions when referring to scholars or experts.

Etymology and relation to other forms: lærði originates from the verb læra. The past tense form shared the same spelling with varying pronunciation, and the noun-like sense derives from the related adjective meaning educated or learned. The modern, everyday meaning remains dominant, while the historical usage as a label for educated people is mainly of interest in literary or historical contexts.

In summary, lærði primarily functions as the past tense of læra in contemporary Icelandic, with a more archaic, scholarly sense appearing in historical texts as a descriptor for educated individuals.