skaðleg

Skaðleg is an Icelandic adjective meaning harmful, injurious, or damaging. It is used to describe substances, actions, or effects that can cause harm to health, safety, or the environment. In contexts such as health care, environmental policy, and everyday language, skaðleg signals that something has the potential to cause harm or has already caused harm.

Etymology and grammar: The word derives from the noun skaði meaning harm, with the suffix -leg forming an adjective. In modern Icelandic it inflects for gender and number, with common base forms including skaðlegur (masculine singular), skaðleg (feminine singular), and skaðlegt (neuter singular); in the plural: skaðlegir, skaðlegar, skaðleg. The predicative neuter form is typically skaðlegt, and the neuter plural often appears as skaðleg.

Usage: It collocates with nouns to express harmfulness, for example skaðleg áhrif (harmful effects), skaðlegt efni (harmful substance), and skaðleg hegðun (harmful behavior). Examples: Það er skaðlegt fyrir heilsu að drekka of mikið af áfengi. Mengun hefur skaðleg áhrif á vistkerfið. Skemmdirnar voru skaðlegar.

See also: Related terms include skaði, skaðsemi, and hættulegur, which conveys danger rather than harm.