skyndilegur

Skyndilegur is an Icelandic adjective meaning “rapid, sudden,” used to describe events, actions, or phenomena that occur quickly or abruptly. It conveys a sense of immediacy or unanticipated change, rather than merely high speed.

In modern usage, skyndilegur emphasizes abruptness or surprise. It can describe weather changes, decisions, or processes that happen without warning, and is often contrasted with more neutral descriptors of speed.

The form is built with the common Icelandic adjective suffix -ilegur; it is related to other words for rapid or abrupt change. The adverbial form skyndilega means “suddenly,” which is used to modify verbs rather than nouns. The exact historical etymology is not widely documented in concise reference sources available.

Examples: Skyndilegur atburður kom upp í gær. (A sudden event occurred yesterday.) Hún tók skyndilega ákvörðun. (She made a sudden decision.)

See also: snöggur, skjótur, skyndilega.