sláðir

Slóðir is the Icelandic plural noun meaning tracks, trails, footprints, or traces. It is the plural form of slóð, a feminine noun. The word derives from Old Norse slóð and is cognate with related North Germanic terms for a path or trace. In contemporary Icelandic, slóðir can refer to physical marks left by feet or hooves, such as hiking trails or animal tracks in the ground, as well as to indirect signs of movement or activity, such as historical or cultural traces left by people.

In everyday language, slóðir commonly denote routes through the landscape, including established walking paths and byways that hikers might follow. In scientific and scholarly contexts, slóðir can describe traces found in archaeology, ecology, or paleontology—anything that records movement or presence, such as footprints, drag marks, or other residual signs. Metaphorically, the term also appears in discussions of memory and history, where slóðir refer to the traces of the past.

The usage is straightforward: slóðir is the plural form; the singular is slóð, and the definite plural is slóðirnar. The word is a common element in Icelandic literature and field guides and can appear in both urban and rural discourse as well as in toponymy to suggest a historic route or path.