símtal

Símtal is the Icelandic term for a telephone call or phone conversation. It refers to a communication conducted via a telephone line between two or more people. The word is used in everyday language to denote both a single call and a planned or scheduled discussion held over the phone. Símtal appears in informal speech as well as formal contexts, including business and media.

Etymology and form: The term is formed from sími, meaning "telephone line" or "wire," and tal, meaning "speech" or "talk." The combination emphasizes talking over a telephone connection. The plural form is símtöl.

Usage and nuances: In Icelandic, símtal is commonly distinguished from a face-to-face meeting; the verb for initiating a call is hringja í, while speaking on the phone can be described with tala í síma. Símtal can refer to the act of having a phone conversation or to an arranged phone appointment, for example, við eigum símtal klukkan 14:00 (we have a phone call at 2:00 PM). In practice, símtal is used in both casual and formal contexts, including written communication and scheduling.

See also: sími, hringja, tala.