nauðsynlegri

Nauðsynlegri is the Icelandic comparative form of the adjective nauðsynlegur, meaning “necessary” or “essential.” It is used when comparing two things in terms of their necessity or essentiality, corresponding to the English phrase “more necessary” or “more essential.”

Etymology and form: The base nauðsynlegur comes from nauðsyn, meaning necessity. Icelandic forms adjectives with suffixes that indicate degree; for adjectives ending in -legur, the comparative is -legri, producing nauðsynlegri. The related superlative is nauðsynlegastur. Thus, nauðsynlegri is part of a regular comparative pattern for this class of adjectives.

Usage: Nauðsynlegri appears in sentences that compare two or more items. A typical construction uses en (“than”): Það er nauðsynlegri en áður. It can also function predicatively after a form of vera, as in Að hafa þessi öryggisráðstafanir er nauðsynlegri en áður, meaning “Having these safety measures is more necessary than before.” As with other Icelandic adjectives, nauðsynlegri inflects according to gender, number, and case in more complex sentences, but its role as the comparative degree remains consistent.

See also: nauðsynlegur, nauðsyn, comparative and superlative forms in Icelandic adjectives.