starfað

Starfað is the past participle of the Icelandic verb starfa, which means to work or to be employed. As a participle, starfað is used in perfect tenses with the auxiliary hafa, and it can describe actions completed in the past or within a time frame up to the present. For example, Ég hef starfað í þessu fyrirtæki síðan 2010 means I have worked in this company since 2010, and Hún hefur starfað sem kennari í mörg ár means She has worked as a teacher for many years.

In ordinary narrative, the simple past of starfa is starfaði, not starfað. The form starfað appears specifically in periphrastic constructions with hafa and in other contexts that require a participial, non-finite form. Its use is analogous to past participles in related Germanic languages and it integrates with other Icelandic verbal and adjectival patterns without requiring a different ending for gender or number when used with hafa.

Etymologically, starfað derives from the Icelandic verb starfa, which has long been used to denote working or being employed. The participle form follows the general pattern of forming past participles with the suffix -ð, a common ending for several Icelandic strong and weak verbs.

See also: starfa (to work), starfsmenn (employees), starfsframi (productive activity).