nægjanlegu

Nægjanlegu is an Icelandic inflected form of the adjective nægjanlegur, meaning “adequate” or “sufficient.” It is used to describe something that meets the required standard or criteria and is encountered mainly in formal or written Icelandic, such as administrative, legal, or academic texts. The form reflects the language’s system of case, number, and gender agreement, and it typically appears when the noun it modifies is in the dative case.

Etymology and form

The adjective nægjanlegur is built from the root næg- (to suffice) with the common adjective suffix -anlegur, which yields a meaning related to capacity or sufficiency. The ending -u in nægjanlegu signals a specific grammatical case and number, most commonly the dative singular form used with masculine or neuter nouns in certain syntactic contexts.

Usage

Nægjanlegu emphasizes sufficiency rather than excellence. It is appropriate when stating that something is enough for a purpose, meets requirements, or provides adequate provisions, evidence, or conditions. Because it is relatively formal, nægjanlegu is more likely to appear in written language, reports, guidelines, or statutes than in everyday speech.

Relation to related terms

Nægjanlegu is closely related to nægjanlegur (the base form meaning “adequate”) and to other evaluative terms such as fullnægjandi (satisfactory). In contrast to terms that imply high quality, nægjanlegur and its inflected forms focus on meeting a minimum standard.

See also

Nægjanlegur, fullnægjandi, nægja (to suffice), Icelandic grammar (adjective inflection).