mjög

Mjög is an Icelandic adverb used as an intensifier meaning "very" or "extremely." It is commonly placed before the word it modifies and can accompany adjectives, other adverbs, or verbs in both spoken and written Icelandic. As a degree modifier, it functions similarly to the English "very" and is one of the more frequent amplifiers in contemporary usage.

Usage and examples

Mjög typically precedes the word it modifies. For example: "Þetta er mjög gott" (This is very good) and "Hún talaði mjög hratt" (She spoke very fast). It can also appear in negative contexts to express "not very," as in "ekki mjög vel" (not very well). In predicative or adverbial positions, mjö g remains a straightforward intensifier.

Etymology and relations

The precise historical origin of mjö g is not exhaustively documented, but it is regarded as a native Icelandic word with parallels in other North Germanic languages that convey a meaning of quantity or extent. Its semantic role as an intensifier is well established in modern Icelandic.

Variations and related terms

Other degree modifiers in Icelandic include words such as vel, ofl, and verulega, which convey similar or stronger shades of emphasis. Mjög tends to be the most common everyday option for "very" and can often replace more formal equivalents without changing the sentence’s meaning.

See also

Intensifier (linguistics), Icelandic grammar, Adverbs.