samtímann

Samtímann is an Icelandic noun that generally refers to a person who exists in the same time period as others, i.e., a contemporary. In broader usage, it can also be understood as a fellow human being or “one of us” in ethical or social discourse. The term highlights shared temporality and common humanity rather than kinship, nationality, or other distinctions.

Linguistically, samtímann is a compound that combines elements related to time with a suffix that marks a person. The sense is of a person connected by the same time, rather than a reference to a specific role or identity. The word is used across philosophy, sociology, and literature to discuss issues that concern people living in the present era.

In practice, samtímann appears in discussions of social solidarity and ethics, where it is invoked to emphasize duties to other people who are living now. It also appears in literary and journalistic writing to distinguish contemporaries from historical figures or future generations.

Related concepts include samtíð, referring to contemporaneity or the present time, and saman töt? While related discussions may touch on community and society, samtímann specifically centers on the individual as a member of the present generation. The definite form often used in sentences is samtímann.