manngerða

Manngerða is an Icelandic term used to describe something that has a human form or resembles a human. It functions as an attributive adjective and is formed from mann- meaning “human” and gerð meaning “form” or “shape.” The word can refer to objects, representations, or figures that are either depictively human or created by humans in a human-like form.

Etymology and usage are straightforward: manngerða combines roots that signal human likeness with a form that marks shape or construction. In Icelandic scholarship and museum contexts, it is used to characterize artifacts, sculptures, idols, or figurines that depict humans or possess clearly human-made features. The term helps distinguish such pieces from natural rock formations, abstract shapes, or non-anthropomorphic designs.

In practice, manngerða describes both artistic representations of people and objects that are intentionally fashioned to resemble humans. It may also appear in translations or descriptions where a translator wants to convey “humanoid” or “human-shaped” quality in Icelandic prose or catalog entries. While widely understood in ordinary Icelandic, it remains a descriptive term rather than a formal technical category with a strict, uniform definition across disciplines.

See also: anthropomorphism, humanoid, human form.