Ákveðið

Ákveðið is an Icelandic word that functions primarily as an adjective and as the past participle of the verb ákveða, meaning to decide or determine. In modern usage it describes something that is definite, settled or resolved. It can appear predicatively, as in "Það var ákveðið" (it was decided), or attributively before a noun, as in "ákveðið svæði" (a definite area) or "ákveðin ákvörðun" (a definite decision).

Etymology and forms: The word comes from the verb ákveða. As an adjective, it agrees with gender and number, with the common principal forms: masculine singular ákveðinn, feminine singular ákveðin, neuter singular ákveðið; plural masculine ákveðnir, feminine ákveðnar, neuter ákveðin. The neuter singular past participle is often used in predicative constructions, for example "Það var ákveðið."

Usage notes: In contemporary Icelandic, ákveðið is widely used to express definiteness or resolve in relation to decisions, plans or characteristics. When describing a specific item, the attributive forms are used before the noun (ákveðinn, ákveðin, ákveðið). Common collocations include "ákveðin ákvörðun," "ákveðið svæði," and phrases such as "Það var ákveðið" to indicate that a decision has been made.

Examples:

- Það var ákveðið á fundinum að halda áfram.

- Hún tók ákveðna ákvörðun sem hafði áhrif á framvinduna.

See also: The related form ákveðinn/ákveðin can contrast with other Icelandic descriptors like ákveðinn, which also conveys definiteness but with subtle nuance in usage.