opnun

Opnun is an Icelandic noun meaning the act or process of opening, or the moment something is opened. It can refer to the opening of a door, a building, a venue, or an event, such as the opening of a new museum or an exhibition. It can also denote the period during which an establishment is open to the public; however, the preferred term for that sense is usually opnunartími.

Origin and cognates: Opnun derives from the verb opna, “to open,” with the nominal suffix -un. It is cognate with Danish åbning, Norwegian åpning, and Swedish öppning, among other North Germanic forms. In Icelandic usage, opnun is common in formal or descriptive contexts and appears in various compounds related to opening.

Usage and examples: In Icelandic, opnun is used for both physical openings and ceremonial openings. It occurs in phrases such as opnun sýningar (opening of an exhibition) and opnun safns (opening of a museum). For the public timetable, the related word opnunartími is used; signboards often read the opening hours, for example: “Opnunartími safnsins er frá kl. 10:00 til 17:00.” Examples in Icelandic include: “Opnun sýningarinnar var haldin í gær.” “Opnunartími safnsins er frá kl. 10:00 til 17:00.”

See also: opnunartími, opnunarhátíð, opna.