vídd

Vídd is an Icelandic noun that covers the ideas of dimension, breadth, width, and extent. In ordinary use it can describe the width or breadth of an object or space, for example the vídd of a room or garment. In many contexts it functions similarly to the English word dimension and is often used where a general sense of measurement along a direction is meant.

In mathematics and physics, vídd is the term used for dimension. A line is one vídd, a plane is two vídd, and ordinary three‑dimensional space is three vídd. The concept extends to higher-dimensional spaces in geometry, algebra, and theoretical physics, where expressions like higher vídd or extra vídd are used in Icelandic texts.

Vídd is related to but not identical with other Icelandic terms such as breidd (width), lengd (length), and hæð (height). While breidd and lengd refer to specific axes, vídd emphasizes the broader idea of measurable extent along one or more axes and can also be used in figurative senses, such as speaking of the “dimensions” of a problem or a culture.

Origin and usage: The word comes from Old Norse vídd, related to other Germanic language terms for width or extent, and has been carried into modern Icelandic with the general meaning of dimension or space. See also: dimension (mathematics); breidd; lengd; rými.