rannsakandi

Rannsakandi is the Icelandic noun meaning investigator. It denotes a person who conducts investigations, often in official or formal contexts, such as criminal inquiries, administrative reviews, or investigative journalism. In public institutions, investigators within the police are typically described with more specific titles (for example, lögreglumaður or rannsóknarlögreglumaður), while saksóknari refers to a prosecutor. Thus, rannsakandi serves as a general term for an investigator rather than a fixed job title.

Etymology and usage: the word is formed from the verb rannsaka, “to investigate,” plus the agent noun suffix -andi. The term is gender-neutral in usage and can be used for any investigator. Plural form is typically rannsakendur.

Contexts: rannsakandi is used across contexts to describe someone who carries out investigations, whether in criminal cases, regulatory inquiries, internal probes, or journalistic investigations. In Icelandic crime writing and reporting, the word is common for characters or real-life professionals performing investigative work. It is not limited to police work and can apply to researchers or evaluators who systematically inquire into a matter.

See also: rannsaka, rannsókn, rannsóknarlögreglumaður, saksóknari.