umheimurinn

Umheimurinn is an Icelandic noun meaning the external world or the world around us. It is used to refer to the physical environment as well as the social and cultural surroundings in which people live. The term comes from um, meaning around or about, and heimurinn, the definite form of heimur, world.

In linguistic and philosophical discussions, umheimurinn can denote the lived or experiential world—the world as it is perceived and inhabited by a subject. In this sense it functions similarly to ideas found in phenomenology and discussions of perception, where the focus is on how the world is experienced rather than on abstract theories of reality. The precise usage can vary by author, and the term is not tied to a single technical definition.

Outside philosophy, umheimurinn frequently appears in everyday Icelandic to talk about nature, landscapes, cities, and social life. It is a flexible expression that can reference natural surroundings, urban environments, or the broader context in which individuals and communities act. Because it is a broad and context-dependent term, its exact meaning is shaped by the discourse in which it appears.

See also: World, External world, Umwelt (philosophy)