segja

Segja is an Icelandic verb meaning "to say" or "to tell." It is a fundamental verb used to report speech, state information, or recount what someone has expressed. In addition to its core meaning, it forms several common phrasal verbs in Icelandic, such as segja upp (to resign or to give notice) and segja frá (to tell about or to relate).

Etymology and relatives: Segja comes from Old Norse segja, a word shared with other Nordic languages. It is cognate with Danish sige and Norwegian si, and is historically connected to the English verb say. The Icelandic form reflects the typical Germanic heritage of the language.

Conjugation and forms: The infinitive is að segja. The present tense forms are: ég segi, þú segir, hann segir, við segjum, þið segið, þeir segja. The aorist (simple past) forms are: ég sagði, þú sagðir, hann sagði, við sögðum, þið sagðuð, þeir sögðu. The perfect tense uses the auxiliary hafa: ég hef sagt, þú hefur sagt, hann hefur sagt, við höfum sagt, þið hafið sagt, þeir hafa sagt. The past participle is sagt. The imperative forms are segðu (you singular) and segið (you plural); segjum is used for the first-person plural imperative, as in “let us say.” The future can be formed with mun segja or with ætla að segja (I will say / I am going to say).

Usage: Segja is used for direct quotation and reported speech. In indirect speech, it commonly takes a conjunction clause: Hann sagði að hann kæmi. The verb also supports various idioms and light verb constructions, such as segja upp, segja frá, and segja hvað.

See also: Related Icelandic terms and cross-linguistic cognates illustrate its Germanic roots and its role as the basic verb for speech in Icelandic.