viðskeytum

Viðskeytum is an Icelandic grammatical term referring to suffixes. These are morphemes that are attached to the end of a word to modify its meaning, grammatical function, or to form a new word. In Icelandic, viðskeytum are crucial for inflection and derivation.

Inflectional viðskeytum change a word's grammatical properties such as case, number, gender, tense, or mood. For example, adding -ar to a noun in the genitive singular case, like "hús" (house) becoming "húss" (of the house), is an inflectional viðskeyti. Verb conjugations also heavily rely on viðskeytum to indicate tense and person, such as the -a ending in the present tense first person singular indicative, like "syng" (I sing).

Derivational viðskeytum, on the other hand, create new words from existing ones. They can change a word's part of speech or alter its meaning significantly. For instance, the viðskeyti -ing can turn a verb into a noun, as in "hlaupa" (to run) becoming "hlauping" (running). Similarly, the viðskeyti -semi can form abstract nouns from adjectives, like "góður" (good) becoming "góðsemi" (goodness). Understanding viðskeytum is essential for mastering Icelandic grammar and vocabulary.