sviðanna

Sviðanna is a term in the Icelandic language that functions as the definite plural form of the noun svið. The primary sense of svið is “stage” or “theatre stage,” referring to the physical space where performances take place, and it is also used in a broader, metaphorical sense to denote a scene or arena of activity. In addition, the word svið can historically appear in contexts that denote the skull or head, a secondary sense that is less common in contemporary usage but remains part of the word’s full range of meaning in Icelandic.

In modern Icelandic, svið is routinely used to talk about theatres, concerts, and other performance spaces. The form sviðanna appears in sentences where the noun is definite and plural, signaling “the stages” in general discourse or in reference to multiple venues or performance spaces. As with many Icelandic nouns, the exact surface form can vary with case (nominative, accusative, genitive, dative) and definiteness, but sviðanna represents a standard definite plural construction in appropriate syntactic contexts.

Culturally, the concept of the stage is central to Icelandic performing arts, cinema, and public life, making the term svið and its inflected forms common in reviews, articles, and discussions about venues and productions. See also references to theatre in Iceland and the Icelandic language for related terms and usage.